Doshisha Days

To say the least. Discounting a few UN Peacekeeping missions in Cambodia, the Golan Heights, East Timor, etc. The Japanese have not participated in military excursions abroad until the current Iraq War. And even in Iraq the Japan Self Defense Forces have fulfilled their mission in Iraq without inflicting or suffering any casualties. While you get over the paroxysm that the last sentence induced, keep in mind that the Japanese were sent to Samawa in southern Iraq and basically stayed there, helped with reconstruction and avoided conflict. Due to constitutional constraints, the Japanese SDF can only use force to protect themselves. They cannot even come to the aid of other coalition forces if they happen to be attacked. While these constraints have gradually weakened throughout the post war period, they still exist and will probably not disappear overnight.

On the other hand, if things were to change overnight, the changes could be implemented almost immediately. The have guns that shoot bullets and missiles that are definately capable of blowing things to very very small pieces. Military culture is also alive and well on these bases, although not in the "I want to conduct hideous science experiments on human beings" sort of way. They did however make me yell "Reinja Fitou" (ie Ranger Fight-oh for those who need some help with their romaji) at the top of my lungs ad nauseum. As you can see from the photo to the left, they made me wear a uniform which, while not exactly making me love the army, was probably the main reason that I lost about a fifth of my body weight in 3 hours, sweating my ass off in the hot, humid conditions.

In sum, despite an impressive GI Joe collection that I amassed in my youth before I discovered girls, I am not a big fan of the army. This weekend, I felt like Bill Murray in Stripes via Lost in Translation. While that may sound like a great deal of fun on paper, just remember that so did communism.