The Senkaku Islands and Japan
167Japanese vessels of the SDF could not do anything and would have to just
passively observe. Also, Japan could not shoot down enemy missiles
passing over the Japanese territory if they were possibly aiming at U.S.
territory. In these cases, the Japan-U.S. alliance could be damaged and
create a crisis situation between Japan and the United States. With these
defects, it is impossible to regard the Japan-U.S. alliance as a functional
security alliance. Therefore, the United States has appealed to the Japanese
side to pave the way for exercising collective defense.
In May 2007, Prime Minister Abe, in his first administration from
September 2006 to August 2007, set up an advisory panel with experts to
discuss the pros and cons of exercising the right to collective defense. The
experts recommended that the Cabinet allow its enforcement.
The advisory panel was restarted in February 2013 and plans to hand in
a final report, which is expected to recommend exercising the right to
collective defense, to Prime Minister Abe by the end of 2013 or the first
part of 2014. Shunji Yanai, a chairman of the panel, indicates that Japan
should open the door to exercising collective defense when an important
ally or security partner is attacked and such an attack threatens to damage
Japan severely.^13 It should be noted that he suggests Japan invoke its right
upon request by allies. By allies he means not only the United States but
also Australia and South Korea, because they have close relationships with
Japan, even though they are not Japan’s defense allies. U.S. Secretary of
Defense Chuck Hagel welcomed and expressed his understanding of
Japan’s preparation for exercising the right to collective defense at the
meeting with Japanese defense minister Itsunori Onodera on August 28,
- On October 3, the “two-plus-two” talks between Japan and the
United States were held for the first time in Tokyo and U.S. Defense
Secretary Hagel and Secretary of State Kerry also welcomed Japan’s effort
to strengthen the alliance.
The Abe administration faces domestic opposition and obstacles when
it comes to the collective defense right. First, the majority of Japanese
have been negative about enforcing the right so far.^14 The New Komeito,
which is a minor coalition partner of Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party, also
opposes invoking the right. Second, from a legislative aspect, they have to
consider ways and means of invoking the right by changing the
governmental standpoint on the right or amending the Constitution. Some
experts point out that there is no written rule on collective defense in the
Constitution, and the governmental view depends on the opinion of the
(^13) Kyodo News Agency, 27 February 2013.
(^14) 27% of respondents reply “for,” but 59% of respondents say “against,” in
opinion polls by Asahi Shimbun, 25-26 August 2013.