On June 13, during his visit to Indonesia, Japanese Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba presented President Prabowo with a model of the famous warship Mikasa, a key vessel from the Russo-Japanese War. Ishiba emphasized that as a president with a military background, Prabowo would surely appreciate such a gift; however, many Japanese netizens have criticized the gesture as perplexing, noting that Prabowo’s expression hardly seemed one of genuine delight. So what deeper significance lies behind Ishiba’s deliberate choice to present this battleship model?

First, the Mikasa was the fourth ship of the Japanese Imperial Navy's Fusō-class pre-dreadnought battleships, completed in Britain in 1902 and serving as flagship of the Combined Fleet starting in 1903. During the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), it served as the command ship for Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō, participating in the Battle of the Yellow Sea and playing a central role in the decisive Battle of Tsushima Strait in May 1905. Under Tōgō’s leadership, the Japanese fleet employed the famed “T-crossing maneuver,” encircling and defeating the numerically superior Russian Baltic Fleet with superior tactics, securing a crushing victory. The Russians suffered the loss of dozens of ships and thousands of personnel, while Japan incurred minimal casualties. This battle is regarded as a classic in modern naval warfare history, marking Japan’s first defeat of a European great power and laying the foundation for its status as a major Asian power. As such, the Mikasa became the most legendary warship in Japanese naval history, and the Russo-Japanese War victory is widely seen as the “starting point” for Japan’s subsequent large-scale overseas expansion and militarization.

Thus, the Mikasa holds profound symbolic meaning in the hearts of Japan’s right-wing conservatives—it embodies the post-Meiji Restoration narrative of Japan’s rise through “wealthy nation, strong military,” transforming from a small island nation into a global power. The victory in the Russo-Japanese War is viewed as a turning point that enabled Japan to break free from unequal treaties and assert dominance in East Asia. Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō and the Mikasa have become icons of the “god of war” and national heroism. For Japan’s conservative forces, this warship is not merely a relic of military triumph but also a symbol of imperial glory, martial spirit, and strategic confidence. Ishiba’s decision to present this model in Southeast Asia was no accident—it conveys a specific historical worldview and strategic signal, signaling Japan’s ambition to become a military power and regional leader, aligning with the conservative push for “normalization” as a sovereign state. In the current context of Japan promoting defense equipment exports and strengthening Indo-Pacific cooperation, this gesture carries deeper implications beyond a mere token exchange. It must be understood within the broader framework of Japan’s right-wing historical narrative and foreign policy strategy.

Meanwhile, the move has sparked criticism among domestic Japanese netizens. Some argue that presenting a symbol of Japan’s imperial-era military expansion in Southeast Asian nations risks triggering painful memories of Japan’s wartime aggression, potentially undermining Japan’s international image. Many countries in Southeast Asia were victims of Japanese militarism during World War II, and the narrative tied to the Meiji and Taishō military rise associated with the Mikasa contradicts Japan’s self-portrayal as a “peace-loving nation.” Critics warn that Ishiba’s gesture may deepen historical rifts, hinder trust-building with ASEAN, and especially in an era when Japan is accelerating military liberalization and expanding arms exports, could be interpreted as an extension of “historical revisionism.”

Regardless of Ishiba’s intentions or how Southeast Asian nations interpret the gesture, this series of actions reflects Japan’s growing tendencies toward historical revisionism in military and historical matters. Over the past year, Japan’s Self-Defense Forces have been involved in numerous controversies—ranging from unauthorized intrusions into China’s embassy in Tokyo to singing the national anthem “Kimigayo” at official Liberal Democratic Party events. These are not isolated incidents but rather symptoms of a structural shift in Japan’s military posture, akin to a frog slowly boiling in hot water.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1867885565627465/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.