Abstract
Today the Japanese face an increasingly complex regional-security environment, particularly along the southwestern islands, where incursions by Chinese government vessels are increasingly occurring in what Japan claims as its territorial waters. The security of offshore islands has developed as an area of focus within Japanese defense planning, and Japan has begun building up modest island-defense capabilities. Although the nature and range of threats faced have evolved, a core focus of the Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF) remains the same- the requirement to protect the nation from an amphibious invasion. While the JSDF has developed some robust platforms, its current state also reflects the constraints placed on its development under the 1947 constitution, enacted during the occupation following World War II.
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