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Recent research published by Reuters has indicated that Japanese businesses overwhelmingly support increasing the nation’s defence expenditure to 2 per cent.
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In a recent poll conducted by Reuters, 81 per cent of Japanese businesses have indicated that they support raising defence expenditure to 2 per cent, even if it requires tax increases.
“In these turbulent times when some authoritarian nations continue to carry out outrageous actions, there’s no doubt that we have to take action to protect ourselves,” one business manager told Reuters.
The outpouring of support for increasing Japan's military budget comes as North Korea tested some 80 missiles.
Growing support for Japanese military capabilities have been similarly observed within Japan's civilian population. In May, The Sankei Shimbun and the Fuji News Network outlined that 64.7 per cent of respondents supported the acquisition of strike capabilities.
These revelations demonstrate a shift in Japan’s military mentality, with article 9 of the Japanese constitution barring the nation from maintaining a standing military, considering the current Japanese Self Defence Forces not an explicit military force. In 2014, just 50 per cent of respondents to a Nikkei survey suggested that they would not support using the Japanese Self Defence Forces in the event of a UN-endorsed military operation.
Shifting regional attitudes
The recent data is further evidence of shifting military and geopolitical sentiments across eastern Asia.
In South Korea, while historic attitudes toward the United States have been warm, the same cannot be said of their attitude to Japan.
Public sentiment toward Japan in South Korea remains incredibly low following centuries of hostilities between the two neighbours. Recent opinion research published by Hankook Research showed that for the first time since the survey’s inception in 2018, South Koreans rated China less favourably than Japan. While Japan recorded a 28.8 per cent favourability rating, North Korea and China were rated at 28.6 per cent and 26.4 per cent, respectively.
Though low, the emergence of China as a regional power has prompted traditional beliefs and values systems to change.
Interestingly, a Pew Research from 2015 suggests that even 76 per cent of Vietnamese respondents view the US favourably.
Unpacking the data, it’s easy to see why.
“Looking to the future, Vietnam sees the US as an important ally. When asked about what countries they can rely on as a dependable ally in the future, more Vietnamese chose the US than any other country,” Kat Devlin wrote for Pew.
“Conversely, China is viewed as the greatest threat to the future of Vietnam. This sentiment may be driven in part by territorial disputes between China and Vietnam in the South China Sea, an issue that a majority (84 per cent) of Vietnamese worry could lead to a military conflict.”
