The following is from the serial column of Ms. Sakurai Yoshiko, who brings the weekly Shincho release today to a successful conclusion.
This article also proves that she is a national treasure defined by Saicho, the supreme national treasure.
The Meaning of the LDP's Big Victory and the Communist Party's Big Defeat
In the House of Representatives election, Kishida's Liberal Democratic Party unexpectedly fought and won 261 seats.
On October 29, before the election, I talked with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on "Genron TV."
Kishida emphasized Corona, the economy, and security as his three key policies, with security being the most pressing issue.
They now have the power to confidently pursue their pledges to strengthen the Self-Defense Forces and change the Constitution.
Ten days ago, a fleet of 10 ships from the Chinese and Russian navies made a near-circle around Japan.
Experts focus on a new naval vessel introduced by the Chinese People's Liberation Army, the Ren Hai class missile cruiser 101 (Nanchang).
The Ren Hai Class 101 was equipped with a Chinese version of the Tomahawk, which has a range of 2,000 kilometers.
Commenting on the exercise, Tan Kexin, China's Ministry of National Defense spokesman, said, "The activity has become more realistic, and countermeasures have been greatly improved.
He boasted that the introduction of the state-of-the-art Ren Hai class 101 ships had greatly enhanced the threatening capability of the entire fleet.
In addition to being equipped with Tomahawk-type missiles, which have a more extended range than conventional missiles, the Len Hai Class 101 is equipped with a more powerful Vertical Launching System (VLS).
The VLS is easy to understand if you imagine it as a collection of dozens of "cells" that hold missiles vertically.
During an attack, missiles are launched one after another from the cells.
The number of cells on the Ren Hai class 101 is three orders of magnitude greater than 100, compared to 96 on the Aegis ships of Japan and the United States.
The cells can be loaded with any missile: ship-to-air, ship-to-surface, or ship-to-ship.
China is building eight cruisers of this type, and President Xi Jinping went out of his way to attend the commissioning ceremony for the first one to boost morale on the ground.
I asked Prime Minister Kishida about the threat posed by China, which is becoming more serious daily.
I asked him how he would deal with China, which has hypersonic missiles orbiting the earth and ready to fire rockets from angles where the other country's defenses are thin.
"At the end of 2013, when I was Minister of Foreign Affairs, it formulated the current National Security Strategy. In the eight years since that time, the situation in China has changed considerably. Hypersonic missiles, irregular trajectories, ultra-low altitude missiles, and other technologies are advancing rapidly. Space and cyber, which used to be the world of science fiction, have become essential points for absolute security. Japan must think a lot about defending the East China Sea and islands."
After thinking about it, what exactly should we do?
"There are many areas that need to be reviewed, starting with the positioning of China. Is the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Program Outline, and the Mid-term Defense Plan as they are today sufficient? I have already instructed the National Security Council to begin discussions on reviewing and revising the National Security Strategy," the prime minister replied.
The prime minister's directive makes sense. It's crucial.
Japanese people have lived for a long time with little thought of the military.
Still, China's endless building of military power and threats will undoubtedly worsen from now on.
China becomes more tyrannical.
The Japanese side must be calm and assertive in order not to let China act arbitrarily.
Tremendous military expansion
However, if the general public and politicians do not correctly understand military affairs, we will not make the right decisions.
Therefore, I want to remind us of an important thing, even though it may be too late.
It is a hard fact that the government and the Self-Defense Forces protect Japan's security and its citizens' lives.
The Japan-U.S. alliance does not mean Japan unilaterally relies on the United States.
All the people of Japan must share the fact that it is only our country that can protect our country.
It is so evident that it is embarrassing even to say it, but Japan has yet to revise its Constitution because this obviousness is not shared.
The National Security Strategy, which Prime Minister Kishida ordered to be revised, shows the direction and framework of Japan's security and is the foundation of our national defense strategy.
The National Defense Program is the general framework for realizing the National Security Strategy.
The Mid-term Defense Force Development Plan (Mid-term Defense Program) is the concrete measure to implement the National Defense Program, such as equipping the military with weapons.
These plans are made on a five-year and ten-year basis.
At the moment, two more years of plans have already been formulated.
In regular times, we should go ahead with the plan.
But this is not an average time.
China is not going to stop its unprecedented military expansion.
Dozens of bombers are flown over the Taiwan Strait, and threats are continued.
It keeps invading the Senkaku territorial waters with its face, and it forms a fleet and circles Japan.
Because of this situation, Japan must strengthen the Self-Defense Forces and the Japan Coast Guard as quickly and noticeably as possible and make them a deterrent to China.
We must position China as a severe threat and reflect this thinking in our national security strategy.
The Ultimate Case
Mr. Kishida took stock of the situation and ordered a review of the three strategic tactics.
So when will the review take place?
The revision of the national security strategy must be accomplished with deep thought and determination and at breakneck speed.
Since defense policy cannot be changed abruptly, it is crucial to start early.
Now that 2021 is almost over, experts believe there is no choice but to go ahead with the default course for 2022. On the other hand, the way to protect Japan is to fundamentally review the National Security Strategy and the Mid-term Defense Plan by next winter and take a concrete step to strengthen defense capabilities in 2023.
The Japanese Communist Party (JCP) lost strength in the House of Representatives election this time.
The Constitutional Democratic Party, which fought with the Communist Party, lost miserably.
The voters rejected Kazuo Shii and the Communist Party, which pledged to abolish the Japan-U.S. alliance, effectively eliminate the Self-Defense Forces, and resolve the problem with China through talks.
The public will support a review of Japan's security strategy and a marked increase in defense spending, which Japan must do now.
Now is the time for us, the people, to advance our understanding of the military.
I mentioned earlier that Japan itself must take responsibility for protecting the Japanese people and Japan.
Let us remember one ultimate example.
After March 16, the U.S. military operated within a 50-mile radius of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and advised the American people to evacuate during the Great East Japan Earthquake.
The Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) administration at the time was upset, thinking that the U.S. had abandoned Japan.
However, Masayuki Hironaka, former commander of the Air Support Group, stressed that this was a matter of course ("The Real Reason Why Military Personnel Should Not Become Politicians," Bunshun Shinsho).
A country's government's most significant responsibility is to protect its citizens' lives, and the U.S. did what it had to do.
The political leaders in Japan who were upset lacked a sense of ownership.
It is correct to point out that the U.S. is an ally, but the Japan-U.S. alliance is not a shared destiny.
Now that Prime Minister Kishida has won the public's confidence; he should have the courage to change Japan's security policy and walk the path to becoming an independent nation.