Several news outlets have reported that Japan's National Police Agency has come up with an interesting request for the 2020 budget: a new unit dedicated to protecting the Senkaku Islands. The budget request suggests that up to 159 new police officers could be assigned to Okinawa along with additional helicopters and weapons for patrolling Japan's uninhabited islands in the East China Sea.
This budget request begs two questions: Why, and why now? The short answers: to counter China's Senkaku Islands ambition, and because this is the next logical step in the evolution of Japan's southwest islands defense strategy.
The NPA request comes after the Self-Defense Forces and Japan Coast Guard have already built up their territorial defense resources in Okinawa. Despite this buildup, precedent and China's inclination to employ "gray zone" tactics around the Senkaku Islands also demands specialized police presence around the Senkakus for law enforcement activities ashore. Heading into the budget approval and implementation process, the administration will now have to weigh this necessity against the challenges of incorporating such a niche capability into existing NPA institutions.