The past few months have put the Japan Coast Guard and Air Self-Defense Force to the test, as they defend the nation's territorial waters and airspace around the Senkaku islets in the East China Sea, a flash point for potential military clashes with China.
China continues to send ships around the Japan-controlled islets, which are also claimed by Taiwan. While both the coast guard and Self-Defense Forces plan to significantly beef up their presence around the uninhabited islets, this also increases the chances of unintended conflict, experts say.
"The situation has started to be like playing chicken. The Chinese are waiting for the Japanese side to give up," said Tetsuo Kotani, a fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs, a nonprofit think tank affiliated with the Foreign Ministry.