The Maritime Self-Defense Force plans to host the nation's first multinational marine search-and-rescue exercise and an international naval review at Tokyo Bay in October 2002, according to budget request plans unveiled Wednesday.
The two events are to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the MSDF next year.
The MSDF hopes naval forces from about 20 countries, including the United States, Russia, Australia, Britain and South Korea, will participate in the drill, which will be held off Oshima Island south of Tokyo.
Participating nations will also be invited to join an international naval review, according to the budget plan made available Wednesday.
The Defense Agency has already begun working with concerned parties over coordinating use of the busy waters of Tokyo Bay.
One of the pillars of the agency's plans for fiscal 2002 is promotion of international defense exchanges and greater contributions toward international cooperation.
Self-Defense Forces participation in multinational military exercises has been controversial because the government's interpretation of the war-renouncing Constitution prohibits the state from exercising collective defense.
However, the MSDF fully participated for the first time in the Pacific Reach multinational submarine salvage exercise hosted by Singapore last autumn from a "humanitarian" perspective.
Aside from the two events, the MSDF also plans to host a second round of salvage drills in Japan sometime in fiscal 2002, according to the budget request.