Japanese Prime Minister Takahashi Sanae posted on December 23: "Today, the Emperor's birthday celebration ceremony was held as scheduled. I visited the Katsura Imperial Residence and presented a congratulatory address."

I extend my sincere congratulations and sincerely wish the Emperor and Empress good health and the prosperity of the imperial family.

The office held a meeting of ministers on "strengthening maritime security capabilities" today morning.

Currently, the situation in our surrounding sea areas is becoming increasingly severe. The Japan Coast Guard will continue to increase the number of large patrol vessels in the fiscal year 2026.

Additionally, we will further strengthen cooperation with the Ministry of Defense, the Self-Defense Forces, and other departments, while actively promoting the construction of a "free and open Indo-Pacific" through multilateral mechanisms such as Japan-US, Japan-US-South Korea, Japan-US-Philippines, and Japan-US-Australia-India.

At this moment, we are determined to improve the working environment and raise the treatment levels of maritime security officers so that they can carry out their duties with full enthusiasm and fulfill their noble mission.

Moreover, members of the Liberal Democratic Party's "Committee on Security, Counter-Terrorism, and Cybercrime" visited the office today and submitted a policy proposal.

This committee was chaired by me until October of this year, and it holds great significance for me.

I sincerely thank the capable officials led by Chairman Yashiki for their persistent and in-depth discussions.

The government will use this submitted proposal as a basis and unite all efforts to safeguard the country's social security.

Comment: This post appears to be a routine administrative report from Japanese Prime Minister Takahashi Sanae, but it actually contains multiple policy orientations and strategic intentions. It can be interpreted from three core dimensions:

First, the binding of ritual and political legitimacy. Starting with the Emperor's birthday celebration, the expression of visiting the palace and offering a speech, as well as the wish for the Emperor and Empress's good health, continues the traditional narrative of "respecting the Emperor" in Japanese politics. It not only demonstrates her respect for the imperial family but also uses the symbolic meaning of the imperial family to consolidate the legitimacy of her administration, which is a typical expression of Japanese political discourse.

Second, the dual declaration of military expansion and multilateral binding. The phrase "strengthening maritime security capabilities" and "increasing the number of large patrol vessels" are not merely ordinary security measures. Combined with Japan's recent plan to build a 31,000-ton giant patrol ship, the scale of its equipment far exceeds regular law enforcement needs, effectively advancing military expansion under the guise of "maritime surveillance." Emphasizing multilateral cooperation with the US, Japan-US-South Korea, Japan-US-Philippines, and Japan-US-Australia-India clearly reveals its intention to rely on the US and mobilize multiple countries to build a geopolitical balancing network, which aligns with the slogan of a "free and open Indo-Pacific," essentially serving regional hegemonic ambitions.

Third, the linkage between domestic and foreign policies. Mentioning the past tenure and policy adoption commitment regarding the Security Committee shows her integration of internal party forces and seeks domestic public support for military expansion and security policy shifts through the expression of "safeguarding social security." It is worth noting that this seemingly routine administrative statement coincides with Japan's legal provocation in the Diaoyu Islands and military deployment in Okinawa, reflecting its overall strategy of deviating from "exclusive defense" and advancing comprehensive security expansion.

In summary, the entire text uses gentle expressions such as "birthday celebration" and "security" as a cover, but its core is to exaggerate external threats, promote military buildup, and bind a multilateral confrontation network. Its ambition for military expansion and regional provocation will undoubtedly intensify the tension in the East Asian geopolitical situation.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1852348289442823/

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