Did He Or Didn't He? What Shinzo Abe Won't Say

Earlier this past week, the Asahi Shimbun reported that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had nominated Donald Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize. What is most curious is that this has been touted by the Trump Regime while the Prime Minister has downplayed this in Japan. What is known is that he did indeed write the Nobel Committee a five-page document praising Trump's efforts for peace with North Korea. What's troubling is that PM Abe's own spokesman has declined to say whether or not he nominated Trump for the coveted Peace Prize. Abe himself will neither confirm nor deny this. Rather, he made some vague blanket statement that the Nobel Committee does not disclose recommenders and nominees for fifty years. Thus Abe declines to comment. It is likely that PM Abe has been strong-armed by Donald Trump who has been obsessed with acquiring the Nobel Peace Prize for the sole purpose of equating himself with his predecessor Barrack Obama who won the Nobel Peace Prize just before taking office as 44th President of the United States. It should be further be noted, that if indeed he did in fact nominated Trump at his behest, he is embarrassed to have done so and looks to history to judge him in fifty years. We have long speculated that Shinzo Abe is playing Trump. It is no secret that Abe's wife loathes Trump and pretends to not speak English when they meet. In light of Abe's slow military buildup, it should be noted that he has been angling to strip away elements of Japan's Post War Constitution prohibiting Japan from any offensive role or capability to fight a future war. Let's hope Abe hasn't sold his soul to a conman and a bully to defend Japan and her long term security interests. 

A Dangerous New World

As 2018 looms closer to a close, the chaos of global threats to peace and security have multiplied in the wake of the failed leadership of the Trump Regime. Since the end of the Second World War, the world has looked to America to be the proponent of freedom and democracy around the world. That shining beacon on the hill as President Ronald Reagan once called it. But as it stands, this experiment with a reality TV host as president has destabilized the world order while Moscow and Beijing take full advantage of the situation. This week alone has seen such extraordinary unprecedented moves on the part of our foreign adversaries starting with the call by senior Chinese Navy officers calling for the ramming of American Navy ships in the South China Seas. If that wasn't bold enough, they also reminded the world they intend to take Taiwan back by brute force once they are confident that America will do nothing.

Meanwhile, as our foolish leader orders the withdrawal from Syria and Afganistan, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has called the American Presence in Japan an obstacle to signing a formal peace treaty that would finally end hostilities lingering from WWII. Why not? He somehow he got Trump to abandon the Middle East and our Kurdish allies to certain death gifting Moscow and Tehran dominance. With indecision and vacillation, our impulsive leader is emboldening such moves on the part of our adversaries. This is a disturbing development which further makes a case for PM Shinzo Abe to push for the record military budget he has asked for and the long overdue revision of their post-war American imposed Constitution. As a result, Japan will now get more F-35A and F-35B Stealth fighters and prepare to upgrade the existing Izumo Class carriers to launch them. Naturally, Beijing has already sounded protest and has in so many words warned of an escalation of tensions. If that weren't enough, North Korea has thrown an all or nothing denuclearization demands on this already weakened president who declared victory by meeting with their despotic leader. The solution will come for the American people have had enough of this chaos. We must right this ship of state or be sunk by it. Until that moment of truth comes, our military leadership, as well as our newly elected members of Congress must restore order before the world is plunged further into crisis. And while it is said it is always darkest before the dawn, the new reality is as my child's favorite movie says, we will have to sail through a whole ocean of bad to get there. Until then, pray for peace. 

Return of the Japanese Aircraft Carrier?

In a move we have long predicted, Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force has announced their intention to study the possibility of upgrading their two existing Izumo Class Carriers to carry F-35B Stealth Fighters. This move which could be seen as a move away from the Post War agreement in Japan's constitution that forbids the possession of Aircraft Carriers was inevitable. This has been facilitated through the efforts of the Ruling LDP party which calls for the creation of multi-purpose motherships that could help in disaster situations as well as bolster Japan's defense. With growing threats from the PLA/N and North Korea, the government of Shinzo Abe has taken the initiative to call for a review to Post War restrictions imposed by the Allies at the end of WWII. The changing needs for Japan's defense must be met to bring balance to the ever-changing situation in the South China Seas, the Sea of Japan, and the growing threats of natural disasters created by Climate Change. The addition of fighter jets will likely draw the ire of Beijing, but in the face of their recent assertiveness, they had to have seen this coming. While there are currently no known calls for the construction of a new carrier with an angled deck, upgrading these existing 19,500-ton carriers makes the best sense. To counter the growing threats and the balance of maritime power in the region, we will continue to observe the JMSDF's evolution from a pure self-defense force to that of a modern multi-purpose Navy with great interest.

Awkward at APEC

Seen here is Japanese PM Shinzo Abe with the Sultan of Brunei looking rather awkward with American Vice President & noted Gay Conversion Therapy Enthusiast Mike Pence in the middle at this year's APEC summit held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Wearing the same selected attire is nothing new at APEC. That being said, it makes no sense. As one comment on Japan Today noted, "You don't see world leaders wear Lederhosen when they summit in Germany or Mumu's in Africa, so why this?" This silly APEC summit tradition of wearing garish shirts sounds like a Communist plot to make World Leaders look silly. Call it what you will, but this is just one man's opinion, and I am sticking to it.

Shinzo Abe's Article 9 Challenge

This week, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe renewed his pledge to revise the country's pacifist constitution drafted by the Americans after Japan's catastrophic defeat in WWII. While speaking to some 4000 Japanese SDF troops in Asaka, Saitama Prefecture, he announced his plan to specifically mention it's military's right to exist. Abe was quoted as saying: "You have gained public trust with your own hands. Now it's time to fulfill our responsibility as politicians to accommodate an environment where all Self-Defense Force can accomplish their duties with sense of pride."

Abe's political opponents say this is not necessary. It will take a two-thirds majority in both houses of government to pass. This push to revise Article 9 which called for Japan to renounce the use of force to settle international disputes forever has been ongoing since 2015. In the face of tensions with North Korea and the PRC on the high seas, the revision would allow Japan to come to the aid of its allies in the event of an attack. The American drafted provision hamstrings Japan's ability top respond to a crisis. PM Abe seeks to change that to adjust Japan to the growing threats in an ever destabilizing world. While some will see this as a license to engage in war, we see this as a geopolitical reality particularly with what is happening in the South China Seas and the temporary lack of leadership from Washington D.C. Enough time has passed since the end of WWII. Japan's Self-Defense Forces has proven it can be a force for good. We will wish for their continued success.

Playing the Fool or Played by the Fool? PM Abe's Risk By Association With America's Unstable Leader

In a week of chaos made by America's Reality TV Show "President," PM Abe of Japan plays a risky game with Donald Trump at his private resort in Florida. We're not sure exactly what Mr. Abe is thinks he is doing there. On the surface, he's there to discuss the TPP agreement and other concessions. But is he trying to reason with the unreasoable? Or is he using his political savvy to out-con a notorious con-artist? They say there is guilt by association and for PM Abe, he is taking an awful risk that could cost him. With Abe's unpopularity at an all time high is it worth attempting to get close with a scandal ridden president facing possible impeachment who just threw his own Secretary of State under the bus while coddling up to Vladimir Putin? The risk for Abe is if he walks away empty handed, he becomes the fool. This would not look good for Japan nor for our alliance with Japan. By playing into Donald Trump's rule by chaos, PM Abe is seeking to follow Trump's toxic brand mirroring a metting with North Korea's leaders, a move that would give the rogue regime letgitimacy. That's something no American administration has done or should do for it weakens our levearge against the nuclear armed totalitarian regime as well as playing right into Pyongyang's hands. We would like to think based on PM Abe's early body language from his first meeting with Trump that he sees Donald Trump as the fool and not the other way around. But this may not be so. In becoming Trump's golfing buddy, this uncomfortable personal association exposes a weakness that will further hurt Abe politically at home and abroad not to mention his golf game which its well known that Donald often cheats. Many Americans here don't trust Donald Trump, and neither should Shinzo Abe. We sure hope PM Abe knows what he is doing. As we say here in America, the optics look bad. When you lie down with dogs, expect fleas. 

Ignorance Abroad: Trump Visits Japan

In a week that earlier saw Donald Trump make a historically ignorant complaint of how a nation of "Samurai Warriors" could allow missiles not to be shot down, our American Embarrassment arrived in Japan. We presume that no one has bothered to tell him that there has been no Samurai since the end of the Boshin War of 1869 or that PM Shinzo Abe is not the Shogun. None of this of course would make any difference to this man as he would just move on with his lack of finesse or patience for Japanese traditions of subtleties. In his typically reckless tough talk, he had earlier warned the People's Republic of China about the potential big problem they would have with "Warrior Japan" if they didn't reign in North Korea. Granted Japan has a small capable Self Defense Force, it is nowhere the size of the military of Imperial Japan or that of present day China. Such tough talk drenched in ignorance could only be topped off with his own crassness by his disrespect before the Heisei Emperor who he would not bow to but rather shake his hand like he was at some board meeting to dumping an entire box of fish food in a koi pond. How Shinzo Abe puts up with this man is beyond me. It's our hope Japan does not judge America by this crude vulgar man whose regime is under criminal investigation by Special Prosecuter Robert Mueller. It's been suggested that Abe may be taking advantage of Trump's ignorance to quietly "unshackle" Japan's post war military restrictions. It's difficult to say given how they photograph playing golf and later reported foregoing traditional Japanese fare for cheesey American hamburgers. What he will do to embarass us in next in his 12 day Asia tour remains to be seen. We at home will continue to cringe with every headline.

South Korea's Moon Renegs on Japan's 2015 Comfort Women Settlment

South Korea's new President Moon Jae-in recently stated in an interview that he wants the reject the 2015 Settlement Agreement made by his predecessor and the government of Japan. In the Agreement, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe formally apologized for Japan's wartime mistreatment of Korean women who were forced to work in Imperial Japanese Army Brothels during WWII. As part of that agreement, Japan has paid 1 Billion Japanese Yen (Equivalent to 9 million USD) in compensation to the few aging survivors and their families. As part of that agreement, the government of South Korea had declared the matter settled and agreed to end once and for all calls for any further apologies from Japan. So what happened? Japan has met its part of the deal disbursing the agreed funds into a South Korean fund and the PM has expressed his apologies and remorse for the suffering of these women. But then South Korea impeached their former President Park Geun-hye over corruption and now the new president feels the agreement made under the former president is not enough. This of course opens a whole new can of worms and both countries have been down this road before. The past cannot be undone but Japan has taken responsibility and settled the issue with South Korea. New demands for greater compensation and more apologies may impact bilateral relations. On the course of greater instability by the DPRK, South Korea will need Japan as an ally. No dollar amount cannot erase the crimes of the past. From our perspective, the dollar amount in the 2015 settlement does not adequately compensate for the scale of the crime. But that's what South Korea Agreed to. When you consider how few elderly Comfort Women are still alive, it is not within reason. That being said, call for new apologies will serve no purpose. We hope Moon will find a way to back down from his own campaign rhetoric and either agree to the terms of the 2015 settlement or find a better solution to a problem he chose to champion.

The Donald Who Knows Everything Knows Nihongo?

As if the meeting with Shinzo Abe could not be any more embarrassingly awkward, it got worse and it was all caught on camera. As Japanese PM Shinzo Abe made his remarks in Japanese, the Donald forgot to wear his translation earpiece. Simple mistake? Okay sure. But instead of asking for it, he proceeds to pretend he understands Japanese nodding his head in agreement and laughing along as if he was JLPT 1 proficient. It was only when a Japanese reporter asked him a question in Nihongo that he was caught red-handed that he had been faking to know what Abe had been saying the whole time and reached for an earpiece. This is what New Century Times describes as the Donald being deranged. As a result, he was mocked throughout the Internet. 

Cringe-worthy Moments: When Abe Met Donald in the Oval Office

It is safe to say that yesterday's embarrassing meeting at the oval office with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will not be the last cringe-worthy moment we will see from America's new mismanagement. When we look back to the warm relationship & diplomacy of former President Obama to the in your face style of the Donald, its clear we have gone from Class to Ass. But don't take our word for it, read Shinzo Abe's body language and you'll say WOW! Behold!

This hand over fist approach was as creepy as the way he touches....

Yeah. Creepy!

Mind you this bizarre handshake lasted over 18 seconds too long.

Abe to Aide: Get the plane ready! はやく!

One Eye Roll worth a thousand words!

Sayonara Sweet Caroline

United States Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy stepped down from her position this Wednesday. She had done so ahead of the incoming President's demand that all Obama appointees vacate their offices by January 20th without having a replacement leaving many American Citizens abroad in the lurch. Despite this rude unprecedented undignified demand on the part of Donald Trump without any real transitional period, Ambassador Caroline Kennedy leaves her office with the dignity and grace that represents the best of us. She has been a true friend to Japan of whom welcomed her with adoration. Her legacy will be remembered for having brought about the historic visit by President Obama to Hiroshima (of which PM Shinzo Abe reciprocated by visiting Pearl Harbor of which she also attended), her strong advocacy for women's & LBGT rights, and her strong support for those affected by the Tohoku Disaster. She had made many friends in Japan and had the honor to meet the widow of the IJN Destroyer Captain who collided with her father John F. Kennedy's PT-109 boat during WWII. As she expressed her gratitude to the People of Japan, she also proclaimed that she will see Japan again. We at American Mishima are very proud of Caroline Kennedy and offer her a big thank you - ども ありがとう ございまして! JFK smiles from heaven. 

Japanese PM Visits Pearl Harbor

This week marked the historic visit of the first Japanese Prime Minister to visit Pearl Harbor. PM Shinzo Abe in keeping good with his promise to honor the those who lost their lives in the opening salvo between our two great nations 75 years ago, joined President Obama in an act of reconciliation. Much like President Obama's earlier visit to Hiroshima, PM Abe met with survivors and laid wreaths where appropriate. Following President Obama's example, no apologies were made but instead offered his "sincere and everlasting condolences to the souls" of those who were lost on December 7, 1941. He said the Japanese had taken a "solemn vow" to never again wage war.In his concluding statements, Shinzo Abe said: "It is my wish that our Japanese children, and President Obama, your American children, and indeed their children and grandchildren, and people all around the world, will continue to remember Pearl Harbor as the symbol of reconciliation," Abe said. "We will spare no efforts to continue our endeavors to make that wish a reality. Together with President Obama, I hereby make my steadfast pledge." We at American Mishima hope that in spite of what has happened in our recent election that the United States and Japan will continue to be strong allies for years to come and furthermore that we may never go to war against each other again.

To PM Abe, we at American Mishima say: 

ども ありがとう ございまして!

PM Abe to Visit Pearl Harbor

On the eve of what some are predicting to be a series of troubling times ahead for the United States under the control of an unstable president-elect, a gesture of good will from Japan comes our way. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will visit Pearl Harbor making him the first Japanese PM to visit there. He will be joined by outgoing President Obama in what many are calling a great symbolic gesture on the part of Japan in recognition of it's wartime past so it never happens again. This announcement coincides with the 75 anniversary of the Japanese attack on the Naval Forces of the United States that took place there on December 7th, 1941 that led to an all out war between the United States and Japan. PM Abe is quoted as saying: ""I will visit Pearl Harbor with President Obama. This will be a visit to soothe the souls of the victims. "We should never repeat the ravages of the war." As we had earlier blogged last August 2016, Abe's wife Akie Abe had earlier made the trip to the Arizona Memorial and prayed for those lost on that day. Japan is our number one ally in Asia and the Pacific and such gestures of healing & reconciliation are as symbolic to how far we have come as they are meaningful. We at American Mishima appreciate this significant gesture.

For those who still can not let go or those who ask what difference that any of this makes, we defer this answer to the words humbly spoken by President Obama during his visit to the Hiroshima Memorial: "We come to mourn the dead. Their souls speak to us and ask us to look inward. To take stock of who we are and what we might become."

Failure to Bow and Other Little Details: Trump Meets Abe

Last week Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe flew to Trump Tower in New York to meet with the new President-Elect. Right off the bat, Trump failed to show respect with his failure to bow (a detail not lost on the Japanese) and further violated protocols when meeting foreign dignitaries. This should come as no surprise as this demagogue who spoke harshly of Japan during the election suddenly comes face to face with our most concerned ally who he has promised to abandon. It's clear who is the amateur here. But let's not waste anymore type on a man who shows no respect for anyone or the office of which he by which through the help of his friends in the Kremlin helped win by illicit means (who during the campaign demanded his political rival be locked up for using an unsecured email server) has the downright gall to allow his daughter Ivanka in the room and talk on an unsecured cell phone. It's outrageous and downright embarrassing. Now for Mr. Abe. We know he is skilled at diplomatic poker as he has been seeking deals with both Russia and China. Our hope is that he will use Trump's own ignorance and lack of political experience to his advantage and for the benefit of Japan's interests. Trump wants to arm Japan with nuclear weapons but we doubt this will happen. Abe will have likely went to see this man to get assurances as to the state of our Pacific Alliance with Japan. What we are hoping for is an increase of political leverage on the part of Abe to scrap Article 9 and perhaps seek the acquisition of a nuclear carrier capable of carrying strike aircraft. If Trump is to follow through with his threats that will most undoubtedly destabilize our alliance with Japan, they will need those military upgrades. This of course will not be popular at home as are many of Abe's military policies but they are a necessity in the face of growing threats from the PRC and a rearmed Russia. But this is in the long term interests for Japan's security. Will Abe succeed? It is difficult to say at this early stage. Abe has to work with a dangerously loose cannon that has hired a junta of right wing extremists looking to start a war. As Trump himself has said "I love war." We certainly hope this does not happen. It is our hope that Abe can give Trump a pause and a heavy does of reality that can not be served in Trump Tower or anywhere else on this planet.

PM's Wife Visits Pearl Harbor

If there are two lingering issues between Japan and the United States that still stir up deep feelings about the war, they are Hiroshima and Pearl Harbor. And while they say time heals most wounds, there are still people in the United States who still hold onto strong feelings of anger of which many were not even born when these tragic events took place. Over the years we have talked about Veterans and Hibakusha who have long made peace, it has only been in recent times that moves to heal such lingering wounds on the part of politicians in both countries made significant gains. In this year we have seen Japan apologize to Korea for the final time and President Obama lay a wreath at the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima. Now Mrs. Akie Abe who is the wife of Japan's Prime Minster Shinzo Abe has made the historic first of visiting the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. While many see this as a precursor to a visit by the PM himself, others as noted in the Japan Times see this as an important counter balance to her husbands polices.

While this can be seen as being political, Mrs. Abe considers this to be a personal gesture of peace and offered prayers. She is quoted in the Japan Times as saying: "I understand that there are various debates and stances on Pearl Harbor, but I think that we have to pass on the memory to the next generation, transcending the feelings of hate and anger. I offered my condolences to the victims and gave my prayer of gratitude for the peace that we have enjoyed and to establish the peace going forward."

一日の画像 - Picture of the Day

Seen here in this unlikely photo is Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Last night he made his appearance at the Closing Ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Games as Super Mario of the Nintendo Video Games. Love it or hate it the camp of it, you have to appreciate the humor in this! The next Olympics will be held in Tokyo 2020. See you then!

PM Abe Reflects on the 71st Anniversary of the Fall of Okinawa

The following is a message from Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe translated from Japanese on June 23rd, 2016.

Seventy-one years ago, Okinawa was the scene of a dreadful ground battle, with some 200,000 people losing their precious lives. I express my sincere mourning for the souls of those who fell on the battlefields and those who died suffering the ravages of war. The peace and prosperity we now enjoy exist atop the sacrifice of the war dead and Okinawa’s history of hardship and suffering. Reflecting on this, we will continue our ceaseless efforts to bring about a peaceful world.

At the same time, we will alleviate the burden of the United States military bases and work to ensure that tragic incidents and accidents never happen again. I will work to resolve one by one the various issues surrounding the United States military bases. I will also invest my utmost in the promotion of Okinawa so as to carve out a bright future there.

President Obama Visits Hiroshima

In an event no one ever saw coming, President Obama became the first United States President to visit Hiroshima. It had been a long desire for him to do so and we at American Mishima are thankful that this historic moment has been made. Joined by Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, President Obama made the pilgrimage to Peace Memorial Park and laid a wreath for the the 125,000 people that died there from the Atomic Bomb dropped by the B-29 Enola Gay. This figure included mostly civilian men, women, children, a number of Koreans, and a dozen American POW's. This figure does not include the untold thousands that died later from radiation sickness. 

It is most poignant that for an American President to visit Hiroshima. Not to apologize, but to mourn those lives lost and speak of peace. We are pleased that the president met with three Hibakusha present and later spoke of the peace that was forged from this terrible weapon that unleashed its indescribable cruelty that was later repeated in Nagasaki. Japan and the United States have become the best of friends since those dark days near the end of WWII.

"That is why we come to this place. We stand here, in the middle of this city and force ourselves to imagine the moment the bomb fell. We force ourselves to feel the dread of children confused by what they see. We listen to a silent cry.

We remember all the innocents killed across the arc of that terrible war and the wars that came before and the wars that would follow. Mere words cannot give voice to such suffering, but we have a shared responsibility to look into the eye of history and ask what we must do differently to curb such suffering again.

Someday the voices of the Hibakusha will no longer be with us to bear witness, but the memory of the morning of Aug. 6, 1945, must never fade. That memory allows us to fight complacency. It fuels our moral imagination. It allows us to change. And since that fateful day, we have made choices that give us hope." - President Barrack Obama 2016.

President Obama to Visit Hiroshima Memorial

In a historic move, President Obama will become the first sitting American President to visit the Hiroshima Memorial. He is expected to be joined by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Peace Memorial Park near Ground Zero Hiroshima. This has long been an expressed  personal desire on the part of President Barack Obama to visit the site memorializing the over 125,000 people who died there during the atomic attack on the city August 6th, 1945. This visit of course is not without it's controversy. Racist detractors here at home have already condemned the unprecedented visit as some "apology tour." The White House has made it crystal clear that this in no way represents an apology for the then deemed essential bombing that shortened the war. Some people will say what they will in an effort to discredit the first Black American President and others will rehash old hatreds that go back to the outbreak of WWII. From our perspective, we see this as pointless as re-fighting a war that we had long won some 70 years ago. Then again we live in a country where these same people riot and burns our own cities when they win sports championships which makes absolutely no sense at all. Go figure.

There will be no doubt there will be many more strong reactions to come (predictably negative) from those on the right. Be it politically motivated or by those who can not bury ancient rancor or hostility for a people they neither know, understand, or feel anything for much less want to. For the rest of us, it is better to consider the of the horrors of nuclear war and better ways to prevent future use of such destructive weapons. It is through such gestures of enduring peace that the memory of those lost by this horrific tragedy of war never be forgotten nor such horrors repeated. To date no U.S. President has visited Hiroshima and until recently had only been visited by the last two U.S. Ambassadors and Secretary of State John Kerry as seen in the above photo. 

It is honorable to pay respects to the dead particularly for these mostly civilian non-combatants of Hiroshima who suffered as the result of wars consequences that were far beyond their control. We have been fortunate enough to befriend a few living Hibakusha that are still alive to tell the tale of what it was like to experience a hell on earth that we shall hopefully never know. I guess to say that there is a stark contrast between Japanese and American people on how they view the bombing. For some some Americans, they can not get past the attack on the part of Japan on Pearl Harbor. For those who actually survived the bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki, they wish only peace in the world and bear no grudges against America. People can learn a thing or two from these few living survivors. We get it, they get it, the President gets it, and hopefully some of you will also get it. Our Hibakusha were merely school children when they watched their families die both from the initial blast and from the following suffering from radiation sickness. They will gladly share you their tales and their scars in hope that it brings peace. They know what the President's visit is about. In fact there has been a letter campaign to bring President Obama to Hiroshima which has now borne fruit. But for those who need further reassurance, White House spokesman Ben Rhodes is quoted as saying: "He (President Obama) will not revisit the decision to use the atomic bomb at the end of World War II. Instead, he will offer a forward-looking vision focused on our shared future." We at American Mishima applaud President Obama for his efforts. May there never be more future Hibakusha and no more Hiroshimas. Peace.

Taking No Chances

Seen here is Prime Minister Shinzo Abe meeting with his top military advisors after deploying Patriot Advanced Capability 3 Missile Interceptors in response to the recent missile launches from North Korea. The last launch was capable of reaching Hiroshima thus such actions taken  as stated in the PM's Message:

 
"This morning I convened an urgent meeting of the National Security Council. I received a briefing from the Chief of Staff, Joint Staff and then confirmed the government’s response.
North Korea’s launch of a ballistic missile cannot be tolerated. It is a clear violation of UN Security Council Resolutions and a grave provocative action in terms of Japan’s security.
We will continue to take measures resolutely, acting in close cooperation with the international community. We will also take all possible measures to ensure the safety of the Japanese people under any circumstances." - Japan PM Shinzo Abe.