TOKYO, Dec. 23 — As right-wing forces gain momentum in Japanese politics and military deployments accelerate, Japan faces a real danger of a resurgence of militarism rooted in its modern expansionist logic under the pretext of a “survival-threatening situation,” warned Yasukatsu Matsushima, a professor at Ryukoku University in Japan.
In a recent interview with Xinhua, Matsushima, who has long studied Ryukyu-related issues, noted that the Japanese government’s continued refusal to recognize the Ryukyu people as an indigenous people is closely tied to its current security policies and military deployments.
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples clearly stipulates that military activities are prohibited on the land or territory of indigenous peoples.
However, in reality, about 70 percent of U.S. military bases in Japan are concentrated in Okinawa, with ongoing base expansion projects.
Matsushima pointed out that once the Ryukyu people are officially recognized as an indigenous people, Japan’s existing military strategy and security layout would be difficult to sustain.
Against this backdrop, Matsushima extended his perspective to recent shifts in Japanese politics. He said that the current Sanae Takaichi administration, while strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance, is working to build a “military-industrial complex” centered on the defense industry, advancing military deployments under the premise of a so-called “Taiwan contingency.”
“By constantly exaggerating military threats, Japan’s defense budget keeps rising, while arms manufacturers become the direct beneficiaries,” Matsushima said.
According to Matsushima, Takaichi had repeatedly expressed her intention to promote the defense industry even before becoming prime minister.
“By manufacturing the risk of war, the military-industrial sector is allowed to expand continuously,” he said, adding that such thinking is not new but rather an extension of Japan’s modern expansionist mindset.
Reflecting on history, Matsushima said that during Japan’s outward expansion in the 19th century, the government repeatedly invoked arguments related to a “survival-threatening situation” to legitimize acts of aggression.
“Japan’s invasion of Taiwan in 1874 and its annexation of the Ryukyu Kingdom in 1879 were both carried out under this logic,” he added.
Matsushima also warned that with the growth of right-wing political parties and an overall rightward shift in political discourse in Japan, some research institutions and scholars, influenced by research funding and policy orientation, have begun providing so-called “academic endorsement” for government security policies.
“For a long time, some Japanese scholars have justified imperialist behavior. This phenomenon existed before the war and has not disappeared to this day,” he said.
Matsushima has long focused his research on Ryukyu history, ethnic identity and the structure of the modern Japanese state.
Due to his critical stance, Matsushima has also faced sustained pressure from right-wing forces in Japan. He revealed that he often receives harassing phone calls and malicious faxes, and that some people have even demanded that his university stop his research.
“More people must stand up and point out how dangerous the goals pursued by the current Takaichi government truly are,” Matsushima said, calling for efforts at both the academic and societal levels to prevent history from repeating itself. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
