Over the Horizon: A New Legacy for Japan's Defense Forces

When the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami struck Japan on March 11, the Japanese Self-Defense Force (JSDF) coordinated and carried out the initial response to the catastrophe. For the first time ever, the ground, air and sea components of the JSDF formed a joint task force for dealing with the disaster. With the support of the United States Navy, the JSDF has assisted with relief of stricken areas and the general management of the disaster. It is no exaggeration to say that the earthquake has spurred the most significant Japanese military operations since the end of World War II.  

The experience gained through this tragedy has left the Japanese military well-positioned to play an influential role in several key tasks expected to gain prominence for the world's armed forces in the future. While "hard" military tasks will remain important, opportunities for states to use their militaries for political influence extend beyond warfighting. Some of the most important missions carried out by the U.S. military in the past 10 years have involved operations other than war, most notably disaster relief in Pakistan, Southeast Asia and Haiti. The JSDF's experience with such operations gives it the potential to be an enormously influential tool of Japanese statecraft.   ...