In the context of Japan-US relations, I believe the most pressing conflict at the moment lies in the broader issue of militarization and peace. The unavoidable influence of the war in Iraq has heightened the tensions that already existed in the complicated and sometimes contradictory military relationship between Japan and the United States.
Article 9 of the Japanese constitution is in itself a site of conflict, moral and political. Its renunciation of war makes Japan unique among all the governments of the world; there are those who say that the Japanese constitution and its dedication to peace are the world’s treasures. At the same time, as the constitution was imposed by the American occupation, its moral authority is suspect. Furthermore, while Article 9 prevents Japan from becoming embroiled in military conflicts, it has left Japan prey to several as-yet-unresolved political issues. What is the role in the international community of a country that cannot be involved in military action? How is Japan to balance the obligations of Article 9 with the provisions of its mutual defense treaty with the United States?
The deployment of Japanese troops to Iraq has caused this latent conflict to become a problem urgently requiring resolution. Sending troops to participate in overseas military action suggests that the Self-Defense Forces are acting beyond the limits imposed by Article 9. Allegations that Japanese ships in the Indian Ocean have refueled American ships directly involved in military operations in Iraq only contribute to the concerns that the peace constitution is no longer being enforced. It is true, however, that Japanese troops in Iraq have not actively engaged in military operations, but rather served in a non-combat capacity. As Japan has skirted the boundary between self-defense and military actions, the gap between the peace constitution and reality has widened to the point where a discussion can no longer be avoided.
Students are crucial to any potential improvement in this tense situation because they can play the roles of both intellectuals and activists. Because students have access to an academic community that an average citizen might not, they have the opportunity and perhaps even the obligation to engage with this issue on a more sophisticated intellectual level. This conflict can so easily be reduced to facile political talking points, either from dedicated pacifists who support Article 9 without acknowledging the difficulties it presents, or from uyoku (the extreme Japanese right wing) waving flags and shouting for constitutional revision. Students represent hope for a more productive discussion of the issue that addresses the complicated moral and political nuances of reality. In both the United States and Japan, there is a tradition of student political activism; in this case, students can function as educators. Even the bare facts of the situation are, I think, little known among the general populace in the United States; if students could spread knowledge and understanding of the Japanese peace constitution, perhaps situations where the United States pressured Japan into engaging in quasi-military actions that verge on its violation would be prevented.
While the fundamental issues of whether or not Article 9 ought to be revised or how the Japan-US military alliance should be conducted obviously cannot be resolved through student activities alone (and indeed may not be resolved within our lifetimes), if Japanese and American students alike could have honest dialogue about this issue, it would doubtless lead to greater understanding between the two countries.
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