Posted on 05/18/2013 12:54:06 PM PDT by JerseyanExile
Japan Maritime Self Defense Force warships JS Atago, foreground, and JS Shimokita, at Pearl Harbor naval base, Hawaii. The superstructure of a third Japanese warship, the helicopter carrier JS Hyuga, can be seen at right. On the deck of Shimokita are ground vehicles and helicopters – shrink-wrapped to protect against salt air -- that will take part in major amphibious warfare training in southern California.
Warships from Japan’s Maritime Self Defense Force have making stops at the American naval base at Pearl Harbor for more than two decades. But it’s going to seem strange, indeed, when Japanese ground troops clamor aboard this weekend.
Three of the newest and largest ships in the JMSDF arrived at Pearl Harbor on Thursday. Several-hundred ground troops from Japan’s Western Army Infantry Regiment will link up with the ships after flying in from bases in Kyushu. The flotilla will continue on to southern California, where the troops will take part in several weeks of amphibious warfare training with U.S. Marines.
Altogether, it represents one of the most ambitious military exercises of Japan’s post-war era.
Japanese troops have trained with Marines for several years, but have never operated from their own warships. The JMSDF, though highly capable, does not have any ships specifically designed to carry ground forces or to launch or support troops ashore.
Years of debate over whether to develop amphibious warfare capability ended in 2010 when China began to aggressively press ownership claims on Japan’s remote Senkaku Islands, which China calls Diaoyu. Japan has several thousand small and potentially vulnerable islands and rocky outcroppings that stretch some 700 miles southwest from Japan’s home islands.
(Excerpt) Read more at nation.time.com ...
Apples and oranges
Japanese are now our friends, and will be, certainly, for as long as China is a growing threat -- in other words, for all practical purposes: forever.
Our real problem with Japan is that they have for decades benefited from America's military shield, without necessarily contributing a fair share for it.
I think a reasonable Japanese military capability -- proportional to the rising threat from China -- should be welcomed.
As should their sailors on shore leave in our ports! ;-)
The Progressive sponsored Kellog-Briand Pact turned out to be an inducement to Japan to invade and conquer China, then invade Indonesia for much needed oil to run their new empire.
Some articles on the net claim that treaty is still in effect ~ somewhere ~ we probably ought to dispose of it as the trash it really was.
Exactly.
Unless you personally suffered under the Japanese, bitching and moaning about our STRATEGIC PARTNERS some SEVENTY YEARS later is just childish and stupid.
They’re not performing practice runs against The USS Arizona National Monument. They’re visiting as invited guests and STRATEGIC PARTNERS.
I worked along-side my German partner soldiers and units for five years, and never felt a bit of resentment against them.
It’s called MATURITY.
Something lacking among too many posting here.
I agree. I have to admit my gut winced when I read the headline, but on reflection I think differently. For what they did, Japan got it’s ass well and truly kicked— rightfully so. I think it’s fair to say that as a nation they did learn the needful lesson and they’ve grown in the meantime into a strong ally. Banning their ships from Pearl Harbor today might even be said to trivialize our total victory and their unconditional surrender. They started it and we ended it once and for all time. It’s over. That ending was bought and paid for— dearly so. Carrying that grudge would suggest that it’s not really over.
My .02
Well put.
I think that’s our own fault. We pretty much forced pacifism on them so we can’t have it both ways. We wanted a docile Japan and we got it...at least on the surface. And we held them back militarily. So their limited participation in mil.def is our own doing.
That said, I understand why we did. But it is what it is.
“Should we hold with Americans forever responsible for slavery?”
Only if we hold every country and civilization in history responsible for their slavery. How about you stop propagating the “evil America” propaganda?
How about you reread what I wrote and get the point?
how you get evil America out of a simple fact pf logic is beyond me.
Slavery is a stain on our history.
Acknowleging it is not “evil America” propaganda.
I believe it is just two ships: The Bob Barker, and the Sea Shepherd.
I am reminded of a character in the Fallout 3 videogame. A hyperpatriot who thinks thinks that any comment not a glowing endorsement of anything we ever did is treason.
The Japanese have sent their military over to protect all the condos owned by Japanese citizens from being expropriated by the US government! :-)
thank you
My father’s introduction to the Japanese was at the receiving end of a Kamikaze attack on the USS Maryland off the coast of Okinawa. He was manning a gun emplacement at the base of the #3 main turret when one flew just over his head to impact on the top of that turret, killing a dozen brave Americans.
The first impression was further driven home on the beaches and jungles of Okinawa.
After the war he had several deployments to the Japanese homeland.
The Japanese earned his respect as tough and motivated soldiers, and as industrious and friendly civilians.
He respected and liked them to his dying day.
They're one of our best allies Now.
If my uncle who fought at Okinawa got over it so can you all.
(rolls eyes)
ping
Two different animals. JMSDF refers to the organization itself, like USN. JS (Japanese Ship) is analogous to USS or HMS in a ship's name. I see this is now the usage on US Navy web sites but JMSDF official websites in English simply refer to ships by type (minesweeper Chichijima, escort vessel Teruzuki, etc.)
When this changed I don't know, but I have a ball cap I got in 2006 on my last deployment from the oiler Tokiwa that says "JDS TOKIWA AOE 423", the JDS being Japanese Defense Ship.
If post 38 thought the “Urinalist” was incompetent, how ‘bout this whopper: “when Japanese ground troops clamor aboard... “
“Clamor aboard” ??? ?
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