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Japan’s vision for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific

FORUM Staff

Chief of Staff Gen. Koji Yamazaki highlights multilateral approaches to security

FORUM interviewed Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) Gen. Koji Yamazaki in Honolulu, Hawaii, after the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s (USINDOPACOM’s) change of command ceremony April 30, 2021, at Pearl Harbor. Gen. Yamazaki has served as chief of staff, joint staff, for JSDF since April 2019. Prior to assuming the post, he served as chief of staff for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) from August 2017 to March 2019.

He graduated in 1983 from the National Defense Academy of Japan with a degree in civil engineering and began his career as a military engineer. He went on to hold key engineering positions, including chief of the first personnel section of the ground staff office in 2003, researcher in the ground research and development command and director of the logistics management division in 2006, and commanding general of the 4th Engineer Brigade in 2008. 

Gen. Yamazaki completed the JGSDF’s Ranger course and studied at the National War College in Washington, D.C., in 2005. He served as the deputy chief of staff of the Western Army in 2010, the director general of the personnel department of the ground staff office in 2012, commander of the 9th Division in August 2014, vice chief of staff of the joint staff in 2015 and commander of the Northern Army in 2016. 

What are the leading challenges in the Indo-Pacific region? 

Japan, geopolitically, is facing China, North Korea and Russia. We are surrounded by those military powers, who militarily are modernizing themselves and who are also invigorating their military activities. 

Domestically, there are threats by natural disasters, namely the probable threat of a great earthquake directly beneath the Tokyo metropolitan area and a Nankai megathrust earthquake [the fault under the Nankai Trough that ranges beneath southwestern Honshu] or disaster from heavy raining and flooding and volcanoes as well.

To effectively respond to these situations, the Japan Self-Defense Forces decided to evolve to a joint operational posture in 2006. What I have been making an utmost effort to accomplish is to fortify the strengths of Japan Joint Operational structure and posture and, secondly, to build upon and strengthen the Japan-U.S. Alliance. The Japan-U.S. Alliance is the cornerstone of peace, security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region. Through Japan-U.S. training and exercises we mutually expand our interoperability and build upon our joint operational structure and posturing to enhance our deterrence and response capability. 

Also, Japan raised the banner for the vision for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. To realize the vision, from the standpoint of the JSDF, we have made an utmost effort to strengthen not only the Japan-U.S. bilateral engagement but also to build a multilateral framework for joint and bilateral training and exercises. 

In summary, what I have made my utmost effort to focus on is how to strengthen our joint operational posture and build the bilateral context as well, strengthen the Japan-U.S. Alliance and interoperability and realize a Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision. 

Do you believe multilateral approaches are important for security in the region?

I strongly believe that engagement and cooperation with those countries who share common values such as freedom, democracy, human rights and rule of law are critically important. Therefore, as I mentioned, multilateral engagement and activities involving Japan, the U.S. plus Australia are very important. In this framework, adding India, thereby forming the Quad, is critical. And because Japan, as a nation, is part of Asia, cooperation with ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] member states is also very important. 

And today outside the region, such as namely the United Kingdom and France, these like-minded countries are important, so I also emphasize engagements with those countries. 

We have strongly pushed that Japan, the U.S., Australia, India and ASEAN member states conduct bilateral and multilateral exercises and engagements. We will continue to push those efforts. The U.K. recently announced it will deploy the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth with the U.K.’s Carrier Strike Group 2021 (CSG 21) deployment to this region and announced they will make a port visit to Japan as well. 

We very much will welcome the Queen Elizabeth’s deployment and planned port visit to Japan. 

I am willing and hoping to take this opportunity to further strengthen the Japan-U.K. and the U.S. and other countries’ relationships in a multilateral context to strengthen coordination and cooperation. 

What are Japan’s top security concerns? 

There are several concerns and threats. However, the imminent threat is posed by North Korea, namely the regime’s development program of a nuclear arsenal as well as ballistic missiles. As for our mitigation efforts against the North Korean nuclear and missile development program, what the United Nations Security Council resolutions clearly stated as complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement, or CVID, or seizure of those weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear arsenals and ballistic missiles of all ranges, need to be realized.   

And next is China. They are modernizing their military power and invigorating their military activities as well as exercising lawfare — for example, recently enacting the China coast guard law. As a statistical fact, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has increased its defense budget to become 44 times larger within 30 years since 1990. Even since 2010, the defense budget grew 2.4 times larger. Invigorated Chinese military activities are not only seen in the South and East China seas but also in the Sea of Japan and West Pacific. 

The PRC’s activities are inconsistent with the existing international order. Their activities and actions ignore the existing rules-based international order and attempt to unilaterally change the status quo by force. As for the issue of our indigenous territory, the Senkaku Islands, in 1992 China enacted its territorial water law and claimed those islands are its territory.

As of February 2021, China also enforced its China coast guard law. The law has ambiguous parts, such as those acts to enforce their rights in their so-called jurisdictional waters, and sections, such as that on use of weapons, which are inconsistent with existing international law and order. 

These kinds of issues we are very much concerned with and not only for Japan but for the world. 

All these unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force is something that we absolutely cannot accept. 

How is Japan modernizing the Japan Self-Defense Forces?

Against these unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force, Japan is resolutely and strongly conducting our own efforts to protect our territorial integrity of sea and air space to strengthen our deterrence. The JSDF has a plan to build a multidomain [also known as cross-domain] defense force capable of dealing with all domains including space, cyber and electromagnetic spectrum, according to the Midterm Defense Program and based on the National Defense Program Guidelines. 

I also feel that at the service-component level, they are making their own efforts to improve cross-domain operational capabilities. In addition to our efforts to build up our own defense capabilities and posture, it is important to improve the interoperability between Japan and the U.S. 

A symbolic effort that we mutually made in 2020 was what we achieved during Keen Sword, a major Japan-U.S. joint bilateral field training exercise. Over 40,000 both U.S. military and JSDF personnel participated in the ground, maritime and air exercises and training events, as well as amphibious operations and space situational awareness-type multidomain training events.

Against any probable situation, to respond appropriately to any possibility, we are strengthening our joint capabilities as well as bilateral operational capabilities. 

As for ground forces, to strengthen the defense posture for the southwestern islands, we recently established our garrisons/stations in Yonaguni, Miyako and Amami islands with ground units.
Also, we established our amphibious troops to be able to carry out amphibious operations. Additionally, we have developed our defense capabilities to support sustainment and logistics
for these units on these islands.

Within the Maritime Self-Defense Force, the largest multipurpose destroyers, JS Izumo and JS Kaga, will be converted to allow fielding the F-35B. As for the Air Self-Defense Force, we are advancing our program fielding the F-35A and B. Also, to enhance our ballistic missile defense, we are planning to create the vessel fielding the Aegis system on board. 

As far as the new domains, cyber and outer space, as well as managing the electromagnetic spectrum, we are establishing new units. 

What is your view of foreign military engagements in Southeast Asia? 

As I mentioned earlier, to realize our vision of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, it is very important to engage with Vietnam and the Philippines as ASEAN member states. The Japan-U.S. Alliance is critically important for our two nations; however, it also serves as a core for other ASEAN member states to engage in the context of multilateral engagements and trainings to enhance defense cooperation in the region.

Japan is surrounded by a very severe security environment. Under such circumstances, Japan must strengthen our own defense posture and capabilities. After U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration kicked off [in 2021], we have witnessed that the new U.S. administration’s first 2+2 ministerial meeting was held in Japan on March 16, and a month later, April 16, then-Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and U.S. President Biden had a Japan-U.S. summit meeting in person in Washington, D.C. Through those events, Japan and the U.S. reaffirmed our alliance as the cornerstone of peace, security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region. 

As a military aspect, we are the ones who built the foundation and base for such values for the alliance. Therefore, it was profoundly significant to have meetings with my counterparts, namely Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley, former USINDOPACOM Commander Adm. Philip S. Davidson and new USINDOPACOM Commander Adm. John C. Aquilino in person consecutively following Japan-U.S. 2+2 and summit meetings. 

As far as achieving the vision of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, the world is now very interdependent, and no single country alone can realize peace and security in the region. Therefore, Japan is committed to achieving that vision in cooperation with like-minded countries.  

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