SELF DEFENCE FORCE |
The constitution prohibits Japan to lead war for settling international disputes or to maintain an army.
During the occupation of Japan by the Allied powers (1945-1952), however, the United States and Japanese conservatives were eager in re-establishing a defense force for Japan despite the anti-war clausel in the constitution. It was argued that maintaining a force only for self defense would not contradict the constitution. The United States established the National Police Reserve in 1950 as a replacement for her own troops which were sent into the Korean War. The National Police Reserve was transformed into the Self Defense Force in 1954 by the Japanese government. Large public demonstrations accompanied those developments. The Self Defense Force is divided into three branches:
The Self Defense Force gets only about 1% of the budget. Its purpose is to preserve peace, public order and Japan's independence and safety. Military service is not mandatory. The force has about 250,000 members. Supreme commander is the Prime Minister. |
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SELF DEFENCE FORCE
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January 9, 1998
In Deutsch | all copyrights by Schauwecker's Guide to Japan |