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78-513: The Volcano Islands are: Farther north but in the same volcanic arc is: There is a Japan Self-Defense Forces air base on Iwo Jima with a staff of 380. It is located in the village of Minami. Other than that, the islands are uninhabited. The first recorded sighting by Europeans was in October 1543 by Spanish navigator Bernardo de la Torre on board of carrack San Juan de Letrán when trying to return from Sarangani to New Spain . Iwo Jima

156-529: A U.S.-led military occupation for seven years, until April 28, 1952. The Occupation was commanded by American general Douglas MacArthur , whose office was designated the Supreme Command for the Allied Powers (SCAP). In the initial phase of the occupation, from 1945 to 1946, SCAP had pursued an ambitious program of social and political reform, designed to ensure that Japan would never again be

234-645: A landfill between 1957 and 1967 to dispose of the large quantities of garbage from the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. The reclaimed land now hosts Yumenoshima Park with numerous recreational facilities. Hakkei Island (0.24 km (0.093 sq mi)), formerly Landfill Number 14, was constructed in 1985 and is home to Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise . Other artificial islands include Heiwa , Katsushima , Shōwa , Keihin , and Higashiōgi islands. Numerous rivers empty into Tokyo Bay, and all provide water for residential and industrial areas along

312-588: A capability to launch the F-35B – to be the first Japanese aircraft carriers since World War II. Tokyo Bay Tokyo Bay ( 東京湾 , Tōkyō-wan ) is a bay located in the southern Kantō region of Japan spanning the coasts of Tokyo , Kanagawa Prefecture , and Chiba Prefecture . Tokyo Bay is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the Uraga Channel . The Tokyo Bay region is the most populous and

390-588: A cease-fire between Israel and Egypt at the Multinational Force and Observers command in the Sinai peninsula from 19 April till 30 November 2019. Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya announced plans to deploy Type 12 surface-to-ship missiles in March 2020. The missiles have a range of 300 km and will be used to protect the southern Ryukyu Islands . Japan is also developing high-speed gliding missiles with

468-437: A ceiling that was observed until 1986. As of 2005, Japan's military budget equalled about 3% of the national budget; about half is spent on personnel costs, while the rest is for weapons programs, maintenance and operating costs. As of 2011, Japan has the world's eighth-largest military budget . The published military budget of Japan for 2015 was 4.98 trillion yen (approximately US$ 42 billion, and roughly 1% of Japanese GDP),

546-666: A declining pool of recruits due to the recently declining birth rate." In March 2019, the Ministry of Defense intended to establish its first regional cyber protection unit in the Western Army of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) to safeguard defense communications from cyber attacks, such as for personnel deployed on remote islands with no established secure lines. The Ministry of Defense has been developing supersonic glide bombs to strengthen

624-535: A long and ongoing process of gradually reinterpreting Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution to allow greater and greater military capabilities, under the interpretation that Article 9 disallowed offensive warmaking capabilities but did not necessarily deny the nation the inherent right to self-defense. These reinterpretations were avidly encouraged by the government of United States, which hoped that by remilitarizing Japan would be able to take up more of

702-763: A major concern to both Japanese and American leaders alike, the treaty explicitly allowed US military forces based in Japan put down "internal riots and disturbances" in Japan. In addition, in mid-1952, the National Police Reserve was expanded to 110,000 men and named the "National Safety Forces." Along with it, the Coastal Safety Force was moved to the National Safety Agency to start a de facto navy. (1) Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order,

780-478: A major policy shift from its exclusively defense-oriented posture by acquiring counterstrike capabilities to hit enemy bases and command-and-control nodes with longer-range standoff missiles and a defense budget increase to 2% of GDP (¥43 trillion ($ 315 billion) by 2027. Japan will deploy improved domestic Type 12 SSM , hypersonic glide vehicles , and U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missiles in 2026. Domestic hypersonic glide vehicles and hypersonic missiles are planned for

858-645: A mock ballistic missile by its SM-3 Block IA, off the coast of Hawaii . The first PAC-3 (upgraded version of the MIM-104 Patriot ) firing test by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force was carried out in New Mexico on 17 September 2008. PAC-3 units are deployed in 6 bases near metropolises, including Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Misawa and Okinawa. Japan participates in the co-research and development of four Aegis components with

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936-625: A new national security strategy. This new strategy would increase all "national security-related spending" to 2 percent of Japan's GDP, while increasing the military budget from 5.4 trillion yen ($ 40 billion) in 2022 to 8.9 trillion yen ($ 66 billion) by 2027, up 65%. This would lead to a spending a total of around 43 trillion yen ($ 321 billion) between 2023 and 2027, up 56% from 2019 to 2023. Japan also has stated its plans to invest in counter-strike capabilities, including buying US Tomahawk cruise missiles and developing its own weapons systems, including hypersonic glide vehicles and hypersonic missiles with

1014-547: A range of 1000 km. On 10 September 2020, Japan and India signed a military pact called the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA). The pact enables the exchange of logistical support and supplies. The purpose is to encourage closer cooperation between the two countries and to deter Chinese aggression in Asia . Japan already had such agreements with Australia, Canada, France, UK and USA. On 5 May 2022, Japan and

1092-408: A range of 3,000 km. Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution prohibits Japan from establishing a military or solving international conflicts through violence. However, there has been widespread public debate since 2000 about the possibility of reducing or deleting Article 9 from the constitution. The article is interpreted as meaning that armed forces are legitimate for self-defense. This limits

1170-703: A rise of 2.8 percent on the previous year. After the North Korean Kwangmyŏngsŏng-1 satellite launching in August 1998, which some regarded as a ballistic missile test, the Japanese government decided to participate in the American anti-ballistic missile (ABM) defense program. In August 1999, Japan, Germany and the US governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding of joint research and development on

1248-558: A source of shellfish , and other aquaculture . These industries decreased with the industrialization of the Tokyo Bay region early in the 20th century, and almost completely ceased with the construction of the Keihin and Keiyō industrial zones directly after World War II . A number of Japan's most important ports are located in Tokyo Bay. The Port of Yokohama , the Port of Chiba ,

1326-596: A subtropical climate. They are part of the Ogasawara subtropical moist forests ecoregion and are home to unique and diverse plants and animals, including many endemic species. They have been recognised as forming an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because they support populations of red-tailed tropicbirds , Japanese wood pigeons and Matsudaira's storm petrels . Japan Self-Defense Forces The Japan Self-Defense Forces , JSDF ( Japanese : 自衛隊 , Hepburn : Jieitai ) , also known as

1404-453: A threat to world peace. Among other reforms, SCAP worked with Japanese leaders to completely disband the Japanese military. In addition, SCAP sought to unravel the wartime Japanese police state by breaking up the national police force into small American-style police forces controlled at the local level. SCAP also sought to empower previously marginalized groups that it believed would have a moderating effect on future militarism , legalizing

1482-654: Is a surname) and Nishi-mura ("West village"). The municipal administration office was located in Higashi until 1940 when the municipality was integrated into the administration of Ogasawara, Tokyo . Iwo Jima was the site of the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II , and the island group came under the United States administration. The Volcano Islands were returned to Japanese rule in 1968. The Volcano Islands have

1560-623: Is rigorously sorted at the household, much of it is turned into ash and further recycled into bay landfill. The Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line bridge-tunnel crosses Tokyo Bay between Kawasaki and Kisarazu; Tokyo-Wan Ferry also crosses the bay toward the Uraga Channel between Kurihama (in Yokosuka) and Kanaya (in Futtsu on the Chiba side). Tokyo Bay was a historical center of the fishing industry,

1638-412: The 2022 visit by Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan . On 22 October 2022, Japan and Australia signed a new bilateral security agreement that includes military, intelligence and cybersecurity cooperation. It is an upgrade to the 2007 Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation. This is the first time that Japan made such a pact with another country other than the United States. On 16 December 2022, Japan announced

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1716-632: The Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System . In 2003, the Japanese government decided to deploy three types of ABM system, air defense vehicles, sea-based Aegis and land-based PAC-3 ABM. The four Kongō class Aegis destroyers of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force were modified to accommodate the ABM operational capability. On 17 December 2007, JS  Kongō successfully shot down

1794-846: The Cabinet of Japan endorsed a bill elevating the Defense Agency ( 防衛庁 ) under the Cabinet Office to full-fledged cabinet-level Ministry of Defense ( 防衛省 ) . This was passed by the National Diet in December 2006 and has been enforced since 9 January 2007. Section 2 of Article 3 of the Self Defense Forces Act was revised on 9 January 2007. JSDF activities abroad were elevated from "miscellaneous regulations" to "basic duties." This fundamentally changed

1872-594: The Communist and Socialist parties and encouraging the formation of labor unions. The crowning achievement of the first phase of the occupation was the promulgation at SCAP's behest in 1947 of a new Constitution of Japan . Most famously, Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution explicitly disavows war as an instrument of state policy and promises that Japan will never maintain a military. By this time however, Cold War tensions were already ramping up in Europe, where

1950-1052: The Japanese Armed Forces , are the unified military forces of Japan . Established in 1954, the JSDF comprises the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force , the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force , and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force . They are controlled by the Ministry of Defense with the Prime Minister as commander-in-chief . Since the end of the Cold War , and particularly into the 21st century, increased tensions with North Korea , China , and Russia have reignited debate over

2028-739: The Kantō Plain . It is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture to the east and the Miura Peninsula in Kanagawa Prefecture to the west. The shore of Tokyo Bay consists of a diluvial plateau and is subject to rapid marine erosion . Sediments on the shore of the bay make for a smooth, continuous shoreline. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line from Cape Kannon on

2106-489: The Korean War (1950–53) theater. This left Japan defenseless and vulnerable, and caused U.S. and Japanese conservative leaders alike to becoming increasingly aware of a pressing need to enter a mutual defense relationship with the United States in order to guarantee Japan's external security in the absence of a Japanese military. Meanwhile, on the Japanese domestic front, rampant inflation, continuing hunger and poverty, and

2184-605: The National Security Council was established, with the aim of establishing a forum which will undertake strategic discussions under the Prime Minister on a regular basis and as necessary on various national security issues and exercising a strong political leadership. On 17 December 2013, National Security Strategy was adopted by Cabinet decision. NSS sets the basic orientation of diplomatic and defense policies related to national security. NSS presents

2262-549: The Peace of Westphalia treaties in 1648. Although possession of nuclear weapons is not explicitly forbidden in the constitution, Japan does not own any. The Atomic Energy Basic Law of 1956 limits research, development, and use of nuclear power to peaceful uses only. Beginning in 1956, national policy embodied non-nuclear principles that forbade the nation from possessing or manufacturing nuclear weapons or allowing them to be introduced into its territories. In 1976, Japan ratified

2340-881: The Port of Tokyo , the Port of Kawasaki, the Port of Yokosuka , the Port of Kisarazu , rank not only as the busiest ports in Japan, but also in the Asia-Pacific Region . Industrial zones on Tokyo Bay were developed as early as the Meiji era (1868–1912). The Keihin Industrial Zone was built on reclaimed land in Kanagawa Prefecture to the west of Tokyo. This was expanded to the Keiyō Industrial Zone in Chiba Prefecture along

2418-675: The Soviet occupation of Eastern European countries led Winston Churchill to give his 1946 " Iron Curtain " speech, as well as in Asia, where the tide was turning in favor of the Communists in the Chinese Civil War . These shifts in the geopolitical environment led to a profound shift in U.S. government and Allied Occupation thinking about Japan, and rather than focusing on punishing and weakening Japan for its wartime transgressions,

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2496-665: The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (adopted by the United Nations Security Council in 1968) and reiterated its intention never to "develop, use, or allow the transportation of nuclear weapons through its territory"; nonetheless, because of its advanced technological capabilities and large number of operating nuclear power plants, Japan is considered "nuclear capable", i.e., it could develop usable nuclear weapons within one year if

2574-600: The 2030s. The Prime Minister is the commander-in-chief of the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Military authority runs from the Prime Minister to the cabinet-level Minister of Defense of the Japanese Ministry of Defense . The Prime Minister and Minister of Defense are advised by the Chief of Staff, Joint Staff ( 統合幕僚長 , Tōgō Bakuryō-chō ) (currently Yoshihide Yoshida , 吉田圭秀), who heads

2652-490: The 84-meter long, 2,950-ton Taigei -class submarine on 4 October 2018. Japan's first submarine powered by lithium-ion batteries, it was developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries . The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force used it for the first time in March 2020. The Japanese government approved the first-ever JGSDF dispatch to a peacekeeping operation that was not led by the United Nations. Two JGSDF officers monitored

2730-453: The Coastal Safety Force ( 海上警備隊 , Kaijō Keibitai ) , the waterborne counterpart of NPR, was also founded. The Security Treaty Between the United States and Japan was signed on 8 September 1951 and came into force on 28 April 1952. While the treaty allowed the United States to maintain military bases in Japan, it did not obligate US forces to defend Japan should Japan come under attack. However, as left-wing protests in Japan remained

2808-477: The Coastal Safety Force was reorganized as the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ( de facto post-war Japanese Navy), and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force ( de facto post-war Japanese Air Force) was established as a new branch of JSDF. General Keizō Hayashi was appointed the first Chairman of the Joint Staff Council—professional head of the three branches. The enabling legislation for this

2886-475: The February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , there has been growing military coordination between China and Russia. This has resulted in an uptick of military activity around Japan. On 4 August 2022, the Japanese government lodged formal protests to Beijing when 5 missiles landed near Hateruma in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone. These Chinese missile launches and military exercises occurred in response to

2964-856: The Gulf War and the start of the Iraq War in 2003, the Japanese government revised its interpretation of Article 9, and thus during the Iraq War, Japan was able to dispatch noncombat ground forces in a logistical support role in support of U.S. operations in Iraq. On 27 March 2004, the Japan Defense Agency activated the Special Operations Group with the mandate under the JGSDF as its Counter-terrorist unit. On 8 June 2006,

3042-475: The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) (currently Hiroshi Yamamura ), and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) (currently Yoshinari Marumo). The Chief of Staff, Joint Staff , a four star Admiral or General, is the highest-ranking military officer in the Japan Self-Defense Forces, and is the head of the Operational Authority over the Japan Self-Defense Forces, executing orders of

3120-411: The Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. (2) In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as another war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized. Meanwhile, the Japanese government began

3198-623: The Joint Staff ( 統合幕僚監部 , Tōgō Bakuryō Kanbu ) . The Joint Staff includes a Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of Staff, Joint Staff , the Vice Chief of Staff, Joint Staff (currently Yutaka Masuko), an Administrative Vice Chief of Staff, as well as many departments and special staffs. Each service branch is headed by their respective Chiefs of Staff; the Chief of Staff of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) (currently Gorō Yuasa),

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3276-680: The Minister of Defense with directions from the Prime Minister. The Chief of Staff, Joint Staff supervises the service branches operations, and would assume command in the event of a war, but his or her powers are limited to policy formation and defense coordination during peacetime. The chain of Operational Authority runs from the Chief of Staff, Joint Staff to the Commanders of the several Operational Commands. Each service branches Chiefs of Staff (JGSDF, JMSDF, JASDF) have administrative control over their own services. On 4 December 2013,

3354-406: The Pacific Ocean. The only natural island in Tokyo Bay is Sarushima (0.055 km (0.021 sq mi)) at Yokosuka , Kanagawa Prefecture. Sarushima was one of the locations fortified with coastal artillery during the Bakumatsu period and was subsequently incorporated into the Tokyo Bay Fortress during the Meiji period . The Imperial Japanese Navy maintained a degaussing station on

3432-415: The US: the nose cone , the infrared seeker, the kinetic warhead, and the second-stage rocket motor. On 30 July 2018, Japan picked Lockheed Martin Corp to build a $ 1.2 billion radar for two ground-based Aegis ballistic missile defense stations. These are meant to guard against missile strikes. On the same day, Japan's Defense Ministry said to be considering to withdraw PAC3 missile interceptor units from

3510-431: The United Kingdom signed a defensive partnership which deepens military ties to counter "autocratic, coercive powers" in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. The Prime Ministers Fumio Kishida and Boris Johnson both condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine . On 5 May 2022, Japan and the United States signed an agreement. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kushida and U.S. President Joe Biden met together in Tokyo. Since

3588-429: The United States conducted the largest military exercise around Japan to date, known as Keen Sword. It included 57,000 sailors, marines and airmen. Of those, 47,000 service members were from the JSDF and 10,000 from the U.S. Armed Forces . A naval supply ship and frigate of the Royal Canadian Navy also participated. There were simulations of air combat, ballistic missile defense, and amphibious landings. Japan unveiled

3666-518: The United States in Japanese territory would be dangerous to each country's peace and safety, the revised treaty requires Japan and the United States to maintain capacities to resist common armed attacks; thus, it explains the need for US military bases in Japan. This had the effect of establishing a military alliance between Japan and the United States . The revised treaty has never been amended since 1960, and thus has lasted longer in its original form than any other alliance between two great powers since

3744-401: The United States wages war under "regional affairs." The Anti-Terrorism Special Measures Law was passed on 29 October 2001. It allows the JSDF to contribute by itself to international efforts to the prevention and eradication of terrorism. While on duty, the JSDF can use weapons to protect itself and others who come under its control. Previously Japan's policy was non-involvement. In between

3822-474: The aid of an ally under attack weakens alliances and endangers Japan. These were Japan's broadest changes to its defense laws since World War II. The JSDF Act was amended in 2015 to make it illegal for JSDF personnel/staff to participate in collective insubordination or to command forces without authority or in violation of orders, which was stated to be the reason Japan was involved in China in World War II. A Credit Suisse survey published in 2015 ranked Japan as

3900-433: The bay. The Tama and Sumida rivers empty into the bay at Tokyo. The Edo River empties into Tokyo Bay between Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture. The Obitsu and Yōrō rivers empty into the bay in Chiba Prefecture. Land reclamation has been carried out along the coast of Tokyo Bay since the Meiji period. Areas along the shore with a depth of less than 5 m (16 ft) are simplest to carry out landfill , and sand from

3978-470: The burden for its own self-defense. This reinterpretation of Article 9 cleared the way for the creation of a Defense Agency and the transformation of the National Security Force into a "Self-Defense Force" that would be a military in all but name. On 1 July 1954, the National Security Board was reorganized as the Defense Agency, and the National Security Force was reorganized afterwards as the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force ( de facto post-war Japanese Army),

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4056-631: The capabilities of the JSDF as primarily for national defense. Currently, there are no long-range attack capabilities such as medium or intercontinental ballistic missiles . As of 2022, Japan was developing hypersonic glide vehicles and hypersonic missiles with a range of 3,000 km and cruise missiles with a range of more than 1000 km. However, due to the constraints of the Constitution, these are not for preemptive attacks on other countries, but for counter-attacks. In 1976, then Prime Minister Miki Takeo announced defense spending should be maintained within 1% of Japan's gross domestic product (GDP),

4134-400: The content of the policy of "Proactive Contribution to Peace" in a concrete manner and promotes better understanding of Japan's national security policy. On 25 July 2018, the Japanese government settled on a 3-year strategy to counter possible cyberattacks against key parts of the nation's infrastructure ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. In December 2022, Japan announced

4212-415: The country's northern and western region amid an easing of tensions with North Korea. Ministry officials told that North Korea is less likely to fire ballistic missiles after it held a summit with the United States the previous month. But the officials also said the ministry will maintain its order to destroy any incoming missiles. They added that the ministry will be ready to quickly redeploy the PAC3 units if

4290-436: The defense of Japan's remote islands, including the Senkaku Islands . The anti-surface strike capability will be used to help the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade ’s landing and recapture operations of remote islands. British troops of the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) conducted a field exercise together for the first time with Japanese GSDF soldiers in Oyama , Shizuoka prefecture on 2 October 2018. This also marked

4368-495: The first time in history that foreign soldiers other than Americans have had field exercises on Japanese soil. The purpose was to improve their strategic partnership and security cooperation. The JGSDF and the Indian Army conducted their first joint military exercise in the Indian state of Mizoram from 27 October to 18 November 2018, practicing anti-terror drills and improving bilateral cooperation between 60 Japanese and Indian officers. From 29 October to 2 November 2018, Japan and

4446-417: The floor of Tokyo Bay is used for these projects. The topography of the shoreline of Tokyo Bay differs greatly from that of the pre-modern period due to ongoing land reclamation projects. Tokyo Bay includes about 249 km (96 sq mi) of reclaimed land area in 2012. Aggregate household waste production is enormous in Greater Tokyo , there is little room for traditional garbage disposal sites; waste

4524-521: The focus shifted to rebuilding and strengthening Japan as a potential ally in the emerging global Cold War, leading to a reversal of many earlier Occupation policies that has come to be known as the " Reverse Course ." As part of this shift, MacArthur and other U.S. leaders began to question the wisdom of Japan's unilateral renunciation of all military capabilities, a renunciation that they themselves had so recently insisted upon. These sentiments were intensified in 1950 as Occupation troops began to be moved to

4602-622: The form of “item requests”, without specific amounts, and the initial procurement of the lead items are expected to clear legislation by FY2023. Construction is to begin in the following year of FY2024. At 20,000 tons each, both vessels will be the largest surface combatant warships operated by the JMSDF. In light of tensions over the Senkaku Islands, Japan began to assemble the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade in 2016, its first marine unit since World War II, designed to conduct amphibious operations and to recover any Japanese islands taken by an adversary. The Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade

4680-436: The island until the end of World War II . The island is now uninhabited and is a marine park. Many artificial islands were built as naval fortifications in the Meiji and Taishō periods . After World War II these islands were converted to residential or recreational use. Odaiba , also known as Daiba , was one of six artificial islands constructed in 1853 as a fortification to protect the Tokugawa shogunate at Edo , and

4758-439: The largest industrialized area in Japan. In ancient times, the Japanese knew Tokyo Bay as the uchi-umi ( 内海 ) , which means "inner sea" . By the Azuchi–Momoyama period (1568–1600) the area had become known as Edo Bay ( 江戸湾 , Edo-wan ) after the city of Edo . The bay took its present name in modern times, after the Imperial court moved to Edo and renamed the city Tokyo in 1868. Tokyo Bay juts prominently into

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4836-693: The nature of the JSDF because its activities were no longer solely defensive. JMSDF ships can be dispatched worldwide such as in activities against pirates. The JSDF's first postwar overseas base was established in Djibouti (July 2010). On 18 September 2015, the National Diet enacted the 2015 Japanese military legislation , a series of laws that allow Japan's Self-Defense Forces to defend allies in combat. The JSDF may provide material support to allies engaged in combat overseas. The new law also allows JSDF troops to defend weapons platforms belonging to Japan's allies if doing so would somehow contribute to Japan's defense. The justification being that not defending or coming to

4914-408: The north and east coasts of Tokyo Bay after World War II . The development of the two zones has resulted in the largest industrialized area in Japan. The large-scale industrial zones of the coastal Tokyo region have caused significant air and water pollution. The Port of Yokosuka contains the naval bases of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the United States Forces Japan . Tokyo Bay

4992-422: The political situation changes significantly. Thus, many analysts consider Japan a de facto nuclear state . Japan is often said to be a "screwdriver's turn" away from possessing nuclear weapons or possessing a "bomb in the basement". In 1983, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone pledged to make Japan an " unsinkable aircraft carrier in the Pacific", assisting the United States in defending against

5070-485: The rapid expansion of leftist parties and labor unions led Occupation authorities to fear that Japan was ripe for communist exploitation or even a communist revolution and to believe that conservative and anti-communist forces in Japan needed to be strengthened. Accordingly, in July 1950, Occupation authorities authorized the establishment of a National Police Reserve ( 警察予備隊 , Keisatsu-yobitai ) , consisting of 75,000 men equipped with light infantry weapons. In 1952,

5148-477: The region and the international community. Japan activated the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade , its first marine unit since World War II, on 7 April 2018. It is trained to counter invaders from occupying Japanese islands. The Ministry of Defense said that beginning 1 October 2018, the maximum age for enlisted personnel and non-commissioned officer applicants would be raised from 26 to 32 to secure "a stable supply of Self-Defense Forces [military] personnel amid

5226-436: The situation changes. On August 31, 2022, the Japan Ministry of Defense announced that Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) will operate two "Aegis system equipped ships" ( Japanese : イージス・システム搭載艦 ) to replace its earlier cancellation of the Aegis Ashore program, commissioning one ship by the end of fiscal year 2027, and the other by the end of FY2028. The budget for design and other related expenses are to be submitted in

5304-470: The status of the JSDF and their relationship to Japanese society . The JSDF have prioritized greater cooperation and partnership with Australia , India , Taiwan , South Korea , Singapore , the United Kingdom , and the United States , as well as acquiring new equipment and hardware. Japan surrendered to the Allied Powers on August 15, 1945, and officially exchanged instruments of surrender in Tokyo Bay on September 2, after which Japan underwent

5382-423: The threat of Soviet bombers. In 1990, the United States called on its ally Japan for assistance in the Gulf War . However, then-current Japanese interpretation of Article 9 forbade the overseas dispatch of Japanese military troops. Accordingly, Japan contributed $ 9 billion in monetary support. On 28 May 1999, the Regional Affairs Law was enacted. It allows Japan to automatically participate as "rear support" if

5460-490: The unequal status of Japan in the 1951 treaty by adding mutual defense obligations and which remains in force today. The U.S. is required to give prior notice to Japan of any mobilization of US forces based in Japan. The US is also prohibited from exerting any power on domestic issues within Japan. The treaty obligates Japan and the United States to assist each other if there's an armed attack in territories administered by Japan. Because it states that any attack against Japan or

5538-409: The west of Miura Peninsula to Cape Futtsu on the east Bōsō Peninsula. This area covers about 922 km (356 sq mi) in 2012, reclamation projects continue to slowly shrink the bay. In a broader sense, Tokyo Bay includes the Uraga Channel. By this definition the bay opens from an area north of the straight line from Cape Tsurugisaki on the east of Miura Peninsula to Cape Sunosaki on

5616-648: The west of the Boso Peninsula. This area covers about 1,100 km (420 sq mi). The area of Tokyo Bay combined with the Uraga Channel covers 1,500 km (580 sq mi). The shoal between Cape Futtsu in Chiba Prefecture and Cape Honmaku in Yokohama is known as Nakanose , and has a depth of 20 m (66 ft). North of this area the bay has a depth of 40 m (130 ft) and an uncomplicated underwater topography . Areas south of Nakanose are significantly deeper moving towards

5694-518: The world's fourth most-powerful military behind Russia, China, and United States. Since March 2016, Japan's Legislation for Peace and Security enables seamless responses of the JSDF to any situation to protect the lives and livelihood of Japanese citizens. It also increases proactive contributions to peace and security in the world and deepens cooperation with partners. This enhanced the Japan-US alliance as global partners to promote peace and security in

5772-614: Was activated on 7 April 2018, in a ceremony at JGSDF's Camp Ainoura in Sasebo, on the southwest island of Kyushu. The brigade was established to protect and defend Japanese or Japanese-claimed islands along the edge of the East China Sea as Chinese defense spending and interest in the area rose. Related to the defense of the southwestern islands, Japan has initiated a program to convert its Izumo-class destroyer two-ship fleet from "helicopter carrier destroyers" to aircraft carriers with

5850-732: Was charted as Sufre, the old Spanish term for sulphur . The islands were uninhabited in 1889 when Japanese settlers settled the two northern islands from the Izu Islands . They were annexed by Japan in 1891. However, archeological evidence has revealed that islands of the greater Bonin archipelago were prehistorically inhabited by an unknown Micronesian people . The population was about 1,100 in 1939, distributed among five settlements: Higashi, Minami, Nishi, Kita, and Motoyama (meaning "East", "South", "West", "North", and "Mountain of Origin", or central mountain) on Iwo Jima; and two settlements on Kita Iwo Jima: Ishino-mura ("Ishino village"; Ishino

5928-514: Was known as the Shinagawa Daiba. After World War II Odaiba was incorporated into Tokyo and redeveloped for commercial and recreational use. Before World War II, Yumenoshima was planned as an airfield (one of the largest in the world at the time), but after the US military expansion of Haneda Airport following World War II, the plan of the airfield fell through. The island briefly opened as a public beach before being repurposed and used as

6006-492: Was the 1954 Self-Defense Forces Act  [ ja ] (Act No. 165 of 1954). The Far East Air Force , U.S. Air Force, announced on 6 January 1955 that 85 aircraft would be turned over to the fledgling Japanese air force on about 15 January, the first equipment of the new force. On 19 January 1960, the United States and Japan signed a revised version of the US-Japan Security Treaty which corrected

6084-546: Was the venue for the Perry Expedition , which involved two separate trips from 1853 to 1854 between the United States and Japan by Commodore Matthew Perry (1794–1858). Perry sailed on his four " Black Ships " into Edo Bay on July 8, 1853, and began negotiations with the Tokugawa shogunate that led to a peace and trade treaty between the United States and Japan in 1854. The Japanese Instrument of Surrender at

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