Japanese surviving veterans find it extremely troubling that Tokyo is performing a military policy shift away from the pacifist ideals of the post-war period, Reuters reports.
"I find it quite dangerous ... This is the path we once took," said Tokuro Inokuma, who fought first in China and then survived two years in concentration camps in the then-Soviet Union following Japan's surrender.
Last week Prime Minister Shinzo Abe historically ended a ban that kept the military from fighting overseas since 1945. Proponents say the move is justified citing the ongoing row with China over the South China Sea. They also point to the fact that a greater focus on the country’s military policy would be more of a benefit to Japan, since it will help it exercise better collective self-defense.
Critics, however, voice a strong opposition to Abe’s step saying this could get Japan forcefully dragged into a string of international conflicts.
Teru Hisato, a 91-year-old veteran who lost his right leg in a US’ bombing in 1945 as he was guarding military supplies in northern Japan, has also shared his concerns and doubts speaking to Reuters: "If you raise your fist in response to your opponent's fist-lifting, that only leads to a fight."
Another veteran, pilot Yutaka Kanbe, 91, says he could have died decades ago, as during World War II he was specially trained to embark on a Kamikaze mission, a then highly glorified act. He sadly admits the terrors of war are lost on the young generation, noting the rightward policy shift under Abe and a recent movie "The Eternal Zero", which lauds Kamikaze pilots’ sacrifices and bring them back to people’s minds, AFP reports.
The message turns out to be highly appreciated by the Japanese youth. "I respect Kamikaze pilots -- they sacrificed their lives for their families and the country," 18-year-old Tokyo university student Tsurugi Nakamura told AFP.
Concerns grew deeper after Abe paid a visit to the Yasukun war shrine last December. The place is seen as the one to pay tribute to the war and honor both war dead and those convicted by an Allied tribunal.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has lately increased the country’s defense budget while easing restrictions on defense exports. It has reached a number of defense deals with other countries, namely Australia and Germany, outlining their views on joint drills and military counselling.
