The legislation just enacted to upgrade the Defense Agency to ministry status and revise the Self-Defense Forces Law will significantly change the character of the Self-Defense Forces, which has assumed a low-profile posture under the nation's strictly defensive security policy, reflecting the nation's determination not to repeat aggression toward other countries.
Overseas operations will become a primary mission of the SDF along with mobilization for national defense, maintenance of public security and guarding of U.S. bases in Japan. The change, which is supported by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito as well as the opposition Democratic Party of Japan, will be more than nominal.
The upgrade of overseas missions is likely to encourage a move to lessen restrictions on the use of weapons abroad, which would run counter to the spirit of the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution. It may lead to the SDF's procuring new equipment such as long-range air transports ostensibly for the purpose of sending SDF members overseas, thus raising suspicions there.