Given Japan's heavy reliance on imported food and energy, Harumi Takahashi actually claimed that Japan should learn to fight a prolonged war?

On December 23, Harumi Takahashi attended an event hosted by Kyodo News and delivered a speech, stating that "due to significant changes in the security environment," she believes Japan must strengthen its capability for sustained warfare to cope with potential long-term wars similar to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. "Just like the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Japan needs to maintain combat readiness for a long time."

Can Japan really sustain a prolonged war given its land area, energy, and food self-sufficiency rates?

Then, Harumi Takahashi began to reveal her true intentions, claiming that due to the "significant changes" in the security environment, especially the emergence of drone swarms as attack methods after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, to enable Japan to respond to these new forms of warfare, she will push for amendments to the "security three bills."

Although Harumi Takahashi did not directly mention China in this speech, she repeatedly emphasized the need to strengthen Japan's sustained warfare capability, using the Russia-Ukraine conflict as an example, and highlighted the intention to revise the "security three bills." Her intent is obvious — it is to prepare for military buildup against the so-called "Chinese threat."

In the comments section of related news, many Japanese netizens pointed out that Harumi Takahashi's remarks are paving the way for inciting military conflicts with China, and criticized her so-called "sustained warfare" theory as unrealistic.

For example, one netizen claimed that Ukraine has been able to fight Russia until today because of its food self-sufficiency. What does Japan have? Harumi Takahashi's goal should be to avoid war, not to start it.

Japanese netizens see clearly

In fact, Harumi Takahashi's so-called "prolonged war" theory is nothing more than a fantasy. Japan's national conditions determine that it completely lacks the conditions to fight a prolonged war.

Firstly, Japan is an island nation with scarce resources, with a food self-sufficiency rate of only 37% and an energy self-sufficiency rate of only 11%. These two key resources are highly dependent on maritime imports. Once Japan gets involved in a war and the shipping routes are cut off, its food and energy supply will quickly face a crisis.

Secondly, Japan has a small territory and a dense population, with major cities and industrial areas concentrated along the coast, making them vulnerable to precise strikes. The lack of territorial depth makes Japan unable to withstand a prolonged and exhausting war.

Some netizens questioned Harumi Takahashi, pointing out that she only talks about ammunition and equipment but doesn't mention the source of food.

Historically, Japanese militarists also once shouted "Never surrender," "Home Front Battle," and "One Hundred Million Die for the Emperor" at the end of World War II. But when the US dropped two atomic bombs, these militarists immediately declared unconditional surrender.

This history profoundly proves that Japan's weaknesses in resources and geography determine that it is fundamentally incapable of sustaining a long war. Once the spear of aggression is broken and the fire burns back to the homeland, Japan's only option is to declare surrender.

It can be said that Harumi Takahashi's current actions are in line with the expansionist logic of Japanese militarism during World War II: In those days, Japan forced the people to pay heavy taxes to raise military funds for the invasion war. Now, Harumi Takahashi is again raising taxes on businesses and individuals under the pretext of "changes in the security environment" and "strengthening sustained warfare," calling it "not adding to the burden."

Where does the money for Japan's military expansion come from? Harumi Takahashi: Tax increase

From a deeper perspective, Harumi Takahashi's remarks are clearly laying the groundwork for constitutional revision.

The current Japanese Constitution's Article 9 explicitly states that Japan forever renounces the use of state power to wage war and does not maintain land, sea, and air forces or other war powers.

Now, Harumi Takahashi openly emphasizes the need to enhance Japan's "sustained warfare capability" and claims that she will push for amendments to the "security three bills." This is clearly arguing that Japan should have stronger military forces and more flexible freedom of military action. Therefore, to achieve this goal, it is necessary to revise the restrictions imposed by the peace constitution.

From tax increases to promote military expansion, to targeting China based on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, to laying the groundwork for constitutional revision, even fantasizing about the ability to fight a prolonged war, these progressive logic reflect that right-wing forces in Japan are trying to break the post-war order.

However, history has already given Japan a lesson. If right-wing figures like Harumi Takahashi still cannot wake up, Japan will once again become a source of chaos in Asia.



Original: toutiao.com/article/7587355635696648739/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.