Former Air Force Chief of Staff Toshio Tomogami has been continuing his resistant stance toward the cabinet. This should never be forgiven by the SDF's leaders. It's a clear affront to the idea of civilian control of the Self-Defense Forces. He should not be forgiven for this. The Diet should pursue this in a thorough manner.
When the SDF begins to act of its own political volition and the government allows them to, Japan's pacifistic and democratic standards will crumble from their very base. This is a serious issue -- it's the same as the military moves before World War II.
This Tomogami Incident stirs up the same discomfiting memories of the army's reckless acts before World War II. The SDF is a military body. It's a military force. If a group within it adopts an extreme ideology and begins a movement led by the former Air Force chief of staff to disregard civilian control of the military, it would create an inescapable mess for Japan's international diplomacy. This problem should be nipped in the bud as quickly as possible.
The author of Curing Japan's America Addiction (Chin Music Press) offers insight and commentary from Tokyo.
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