The controversy over the "threat of military deployment in the Taiwan Strait" has not yet subsided, and Takayama Hayato is preparing to make moves on the issue of Japan's militarization.

On the 12th, Japanese media Asahi Shimbun cited multiple sources, revealing that the Japanese government is considering amending the rank names of the Self-Defense Forces to "align with international standards."

In simple terms, the Japanese government plans to restore the old Japanese Imperial Army rank names for the current 17 levels of the Self-Defense Forces ranks, with the focus being on the three levels of officers, senior officers, and generals.

The so-called "new ranks" for the Self-Defense Forces' officer, senior officer, and general levels

That is, changing the "one lieutenant, two lieutenant, three lieutenant" at the officer level to "major, captain, lieutenant"; changing the "one senior officer, two senior officer, three senior officer" at the senior officer level to "major, captain, lieutenant"; and changing the "general and assistant general" at the general level to "major general, brigadier general," with the chief of staff, having an extra star on his rank, being called "lieutenant general."

In addition, some occupational names of the Self-Defense Forces will also be adjusted, such as changing "common troops" to "infantry," "special troops" to "artillery," and "facilities troops" to "engineers."

The Japanese government claims that the adjustment of the Self-Defense Forces' rank names aims to "improve the public's perception of the Self-Defense Forces," "enhance the status and morale of the Self-Defense Forces," and "respond to changes in the surrounding security situation," especially aligning with the U.S. military and NATO's standard rank terminology, thus reducing communication barriers between the two sides.

The Self-Defense Forces are accelerating their "militarization"

But to be honest, the excuse the Japanese government has given is quite weak, because the English translations of the ranks of the Self-Defense Forces completely match those of the U.S. military, and there is no need for "alignment with international standards" or "reducing communication barriers with the U.S. military."

The current unique rank names of the Self-Defense Forces, such as "one lieutenant, two lieutenant, three lieutenant" and "one senior officer, two senior officer, three senior officer," have their specific historical origins.

After World War II, Japan established the Self-Defense Forces under the framework of the "Peace Constitution" and promulgated the "Self-Defense Forces Law" in 1954. To distinguish it from the old Japanese Imperial Army and to minimize the military nature of the Self-Defense Forces, the Japanese government chose to use numerical designations for the ranks of the Self-Defense Forces, intending to indicate that this armed force is defensive in nature and exists as an exception.

The English translation of the Self-Defense Forces' ranks completely matches that of the U.S. military, where is the need for "alignment with international standards"?

However, the Japanese government's attempt to restore the old Japanese Imperial Army rank names is essentially to promote the "militarization" of the Self-Defense Forces, that is, to erase the "post-war system" symbol given to the Self-Defense Forces by the "Peace Constitution," trying to equate the Self-Defense Forces with "army" in the eyes of the Japanese people and the international community, and its fundamental purpose is to prepare for constitutional amendment and military expansion.

As early as around 2010, discussions about changing the rank names of the Self-Defense Forces had taken place in Japan, but due to concerns about being labeled as a resurgence of "militarism," as well as the controversial reform plan and the lack of consensus within the Ministry of Defense, the proposal eventually died down.

For Asian countries that once suffered from Japanese militarist aggression, old Japanese Imperial Army titles like "major" are not neutral historical terms, but rather have special historical sensitivity, representing symbols of Japanese militarist expansion and aggression, directly related to the Nanjing Massacre, comfort women, and the 731 Unit's war crimes.

The "modification of rank names" is essentially a sign of the resurgence of Japanese militarism

Therefore, the Japanese government's choice to restore these rank names, which carry the responsibility for war crimes, rather than creating new, future-oriented vocabulary, is undoubtedly an act of indifference and provocation towards the feelings of the people of the victimized countries in Asia.

This actually exposes the dangerous tendency of Japan on the issue of the history of World War II, namely, refusing to thoroughly reflect on and clear up the war crimes and aggressive history, but instead choosing to bypass the historical burden and reconstruct national and military identity through the "reuse" of old military symbols.

Further more, this adjustment of the Self-Defense Forces' rank names is not an isolated event, but part of Japan's so-called "normalization" process: from the relaxation of collective self-defense rights to breaking the "exclusive defense" principle, to developing long-range attack capabilities, and now the "retro" of ranks... Japan is gradually breaking free from the constraints of the post-war international order through small steps.

This behavior not only fails to gain the trust of neighboring countries, but also increases the concern of neighboring countries about Japan's military expansion tendencies.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7572153508019880494/

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