Japan is currently the fifth largest conventional military power in the world, and yet it has no armed forces, since the Japanese Self-Defence Forces (JSDF), created after World War II, cannot be considered as such. This paper looks at this paradox from the perspective of the relationship of these forces to Japanese society and the way in which their image affects defence policy in Japan. To do so, we go back to the origins of the JSDF’s status and consider their characteristics and the current limits to their development. We also look at how their image, missions and prerogatives are out of step with the geostrategic context of 2022. The image of the JSDF in the eyes of the Japanese population proves to be the key to understanding the permanence of this paradoxical status. We thus analyze how this image is constructed through public opinion, official communication policy and the influence of external actors, such as the American armed forces.

Download Research Paper No. 127 - 2022