Since the end of WW2 and the atomic bombings, Japan's armed forces fall under "Self-Defense" per their constitution. But since the collapse of the FSU and with on-going tensions with both China and North Korea, the US and West have been putting pressure on Japan to drop the SD role and play an active military part in foreign policies that include a missile defense shield on their soil to intercept missiles bound for the US. Internally, Japanese society is divided between those that want to stick to a pacifist way and those that want to fully arm their military and expand internationally into foreign conflicts. The Japanese are disputing China and Russia over islands lost postwar as well as loathing the threat of missiles from N Korea. The new PM is for increased defense spending and scrapping the SD portion of the constitution. Inevitably, like Germany, Japan will take a more active role outside of their borders.

*PACRIM= Pacific Rim