News Analysis: Japan's public essential to curb Abe's new militarism

The Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe approved a Defense Ministry-related bill on Friday, seeking to change the power dynamics within the ministry and allow uniformed Self-Defense Forces officers greater power.

Under the current Defense Ministry Establishment law, the bureaucrats, often referred to as "the suits" are thought to have higher status than "the uniforms," namely SDF officers.

The law's Article 12 stipulates that "the suits" assist the defense minister when he or she issues instructions to the Joint Staff Chief and the chief of each SDF arm. But under the amendment, the uniforms will be on an equal footing in assisting the minister.

If it is approved by the Diet, no doubt the uniforms will be able to exert a greater influence on the nation's political decisions concerning military matters. The move will also weaken civilian control over the SDF, making it difficult to hold the uniforms in check, some defense analysts have suggested.

Some SDF officers and lawmakers representing them are of equal, or even higher status than the bureaucrats, arguing they are controlled by "the suits."

Though the current SDF is different from the former imperial military, the fact remains that they are the only entities capable of using armed force within the country.

Unless the SDF are politically controlled, the very foundation of Japan's democracy could be eroded. And that is the rationale for keeping the SDF under public control. The de facto lack of control over the military may result in a state within a state, which is a situation Japan must forever avoid, analysts close to the matter have said.

Some right-leaning newspapers said such criticism is off the mark, believing civilian control over the military will not be undermined. Regarding that, some analysts here pointed out that it is difficult to restrict the uniforms' power once the provision is approved.

The amendment will abolish the Bureau of Operational Policy, one of the ministry's internal bureaus, and has the operation of SDF units placed under centralized control of the Joint Staff, an organ mainly comprising SDF members.

The bill will also incorporate plans to establish a ministry affiliate called the "defense equipment agency." The new organ would be tasked with playing the sole role in the research, development and purchase of defense equipment while also managing defense-related hardware exports. According to local media, the envisaged agency would comprise about 1,800 personnel.

Since Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took office again in late 2012, the Japanese government has been pushing for a more robust military, by bulldozing through a number of legislative and unilateral Cabinet decisions. Endi