National defense bills now before the Diet are drawing a mixed reaction from the public. In a Kyodo News poll earlier this month, nearly 50 percent said Japan needs emergency legislation to deal with military attacks from abroad, but when asked whether the package should be passed in the current Diet session, which ends next month, far more people said no than yes. This indicates that even those who recognize the need for such legislation have doubts about the bills' content.
Diet debate so far has stopped short of addressing those public concerns. Instead, the debate seems to be getting more complicated, raising more questions than it answers. The biggest question is, in what kinds of situations will the Self-Defense Forces be mobilized?
The package says the SDF will go into action in a "military attack situation." Generally, this situation refers to the following three cases: (1) Japan has been attacked from abroad; (2) an attack is imminent; or (3) an attack is anticipated.