Japan should adopt comprehensive legislation to deal with armed conflicts in neighboring areas and continue to watch military trends in North Korea and China, according to the 1997 Defense White Paper.
The white paper was released July 15 and addresses a wide range of defense matters. If an emergency does occur, according to the report, refugees are likely to flood into Japan seeking asylum, transportation would be required to evacuate Japanese overseas, and mines may obstruct sea lanes and Japan's territorial waters.
Since 1977, the Defense Agency has studied legal measures that would be needed for the Self-Defense Forces to deal flexibly with such emergencies and it hopes to use the results to push through what it sees as necessary legislation. The white paper adds, however, that it would require strong political motivation to enact any such legislation.