ABSTRACT
On July 1, 2014 the Japanese government announced a reinterpretation of the constitution that would authorize the previously prohibited right of collective self-defense (CSD). Supporters in the United States and elsewhere read the reinterpretation as Japan’s willingness to expand its overseas military cooperation. Indeed, Japan has sought to diversify its military relationships in the broader Asia-Pacific region. However, debate around CSD had more to do with political ideology and legal propriety than security and military strategy. Because the debate was “centered on a fight within” Japan, the ultimate “reinterpretation” does not for the foreseeable future significantly extend the legal capacity for Japan’s participation in frameworks that might entail the defense of other nations in Japan’s near abroad.
