August 2009

Vol 2 N0 10

subscription required

article preview

JAPAN

Yasukazu Hamada

Minister of Defence, Japan

As the political head of a more outward-looking Japanese military, the Self-Defence Forces, Yasukazu Hamada is taking a robust line against pirates based in Somalia. In March, he ordered two SDF destroyers to the Gulf of Aden, an unprecedented move under the restrictive terms of the post-Second World War constitution. Tokyo is also planning to use its technical expertise more actively in United Nations peacekeeping, although many of the details are yet to be agreed.

Article Tags:
Japanese, Yasukazu Hamada, Somalia, Michio Watanabe, Koichi Hamada, Taro Aso, China, Koreas, Taiwan, Yakuza

end of preview

To read the rest of the article you need to either log in or do one of the following:

  • If you have a print subscription already please click here for full access to the website.
  • If you have already logged in and believe you should have access to this article please contact customer services.