The choice of Satoshi Morimoto to head Japan’s Defense Ministry has surprised many. But the media and opposition party criticism is misplaced.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda recently reshuffled his cabinet as a means of courting the support of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) for legislation related to increasing the consumption tax. Noda replaced five of his 18 cabinet members, including Defense Minister Naoki Tanaka and Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism Minister Takeshi Maeda, both of whom were censured in the House of Councilors. Yet, the change that has drawn the most attention is the appointment of Tanaka’s successor, Satoshi Morimoto. This is because Morimoto is an academic, not a politician, making him the first non-politician to become Japan’s top defense chief since World War II. But although the media and opposition parties have joined in criticizing his appointment, Noda’s choice deserves praise. Finally, Japan has a defense minister with unquestionable expertise.
Morimoto is perhaps Japan’s leading expert in defense and security issues. After graduating from the National Defense University, he spent close to fifteen years in the Air Self-Defense Forces and then served as the Director of National Security Policy in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). Upon retiring as a civil servant, Morimoto became an academic scholar. Not only does he have an impressive resume of security-related articles and books, he also makes regular appearances on TV programs to discuss security-related topics. He also has served as an advisor to various LDP cabinets on security issues, was a member of an LDP-initiated council tasked with strengthening the functions of the Prime Minister’s Office in regards to national security affairs, was a member of an LDP-created expert panel examining the creation of a Japanese version of the U.S. National Security Council, and was appointed by LDP Prime Minister Taro Aso as a special adviser to Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada in 2009.
At the same time as Morimoto’s views find resonance in the LDP, they also correspond closely with the United States, where he has deep connections. He’s a strong supporter of the U.S.-Japan alliance, believing that security threats by China or North Korea are best dealt with within this framework. This is an extremely strong asset given Noda’s signaling of strengthening ties with the U.S. In addition, he takes a critical view of China and supports Japan, strengthening its maritime defenses to prevent China from seizing Japan’s outlying islands. At the same time, he promotes diplomatic means to resolve Tokyo’s main territorial dispute with Beijing. Finally, he’s a known conservative in his views of what Japan can and should do in the security realm, and believes in a stronger role for Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (SDF). He also supports Japan’s right to exercise collective self-defense.
With no questions about Morimoto’s credentials, the media and LDP have looked to other issues. Specifically, how Morimoto’s status as a non-politician and his views on Okinawa will impact his ability to be an effective defense minister. Neither of these concerns has merit.
Consider first Morimoto’s status as a non-politician. Under the Constitution, there’s no legal restriction against a non-politician becoming a minister. What troubles some is that a non-elected official endangers Japan’s civilian control because he’s unable to be held accountable via his “political life” for any action he takes as minister. A lesser concern is how well he can function as minister given that he’ll have few political allies.
Both concerns are weak. In regards to the first, the defense minister isn’t the commander-in-chief who decides on SDF deployment. Rather, he’s like the premier. With an elected official retaining this right, there’s no danger to civilian control. Moreover, although the defense minister lacks direct electoral accountability, there are other options to hold him indirectly accountable. The Diet has the ability to censure ministers for misdeeds, thereby allowing it to register disapproval of a minister’s behavior. While it doesn’t remove him from office, it nevertheless puts considerable pressure on the prime minister to hold his ministers accountable, which was what led to the ousting of Morimoto’s predecessor. A minister can also be punished by holding the cabinet collectively accountable. Because the defense minister is as a member of the cabinet, which is accountable to the Diet, members of parliament can submit a vote of no-confidence against the cabinet if they believe the defense minister’s behavior is particularly egregious. Finally, because the Diet deliberates the defense budget, elected officials can reject and/or approve items that the Defense Minister merits necessary. Taken together, there’s very little threat to Japan’s civilian control or the ability to hold the defense minister accountable.
Photo Credit: Wikicommons / Joi Ito
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Robert Kubota
Interesting comments. I don’t see how China could ever be threatened by Japan again, because China’s military is so much stronger. China is a super power, while Japan certainly is not. Soon China might even be stronger militarily than the US.
John Chan
We Chinese will be lord over the world soon. You better learn Mandarin now.
Ling Nam
@John Chan you are serving your communist mate in Beijing well keep up the lies commie! Japan, Vietnam, Philippines, India, S Korea, Tibet, Taiwan, Singapore etc backed by the good ol" USA will pound on China soon. CCP leaders we're pretty upset with the US pivot to Pacific. A country with 1.4B people and no real natural resources its needed clearly China have a problem. Kleptoratic CCP regime is more like the wold. It has mislead people of China and provoked hatred that those who live in the free world know s that its complete lie of the leaders of your dear Motherland. But no matter what i say here your proficiency in lying is so engrained to you as you naturally believe in it. A broken man stays broken and CCP in China for over 60 years of Censorship does creats millions like you.
John Chan
The extra ordinary appointment of Satoshi Morimoto to head Japan’s Defense Ministry indicates that Japan is preparing for war against China, so they need someone know how to prepare a war, hope China get the message, and prepare for the worst.
As the surprise attack of Pearl Harbour, Japan will disguise its bellicose and surprise attack with peace initiatives and other deceits even way into the first bomb is dropped on China; perhaps China’s North Fleet will be its first target again like the last naval engagement between Qing and Japan.
Darter 2-5
Ah, come on, why should Japan launch a Pearl Harbor-like surprise attack against China? Whatever reason the Japanese may have, they would be seen as the aggressors, and they would therefore lose the support of their allies (the U.S., in particular).
John Chan
@Darter 2-5,
Of course Japan cannot initiate aggression against China without USA’s nod. As the recent episode in the South China Sea demonstrates, the imperialist Westpac’s black information network can turn aggressors like the Philippines and the Vietnam into victims. The propaganda machines of the Westpac black information network will be turned on to replay their handy work in the SCS to smear China as aggressor and the white wash aggressor Japan as the victim, probably tens of American lackeys like Australia, India, SK, the Philippines, Vietnam, etc. will join in to replay Eight Allied Countries (八国联军) invasion of China in 1900, and put China back into the dark age of unequal treaties.
It is not a matter of whether Japan will initiate aggression against China, it is a matter of when, Satoshi Morimot’s appointment is the first public signal confirming Japanese intention. The remaining question is whether China realizes the danger and would China end up like Qing.
Viet dela Cruz
@Mr. John Chan: "…aggressors like the Philippines and Vietnam.." REALLY?! Will you look at the map and tell me which country is sending vessels hundreds of miles away from home port just to seize small rocks within other countryies' EEZ? China did not claim these islands when the Americans turned them over. And before that the Spanish -and way before that, various little SEA kingdoms. No, the chinese are shameless opportunists interested only in the oil said to be found in these waters. We will defend our sovereignty against bullies. China will not turn these seas into an environmental disaster like the chinese mainland. We will support Taiwanese, Tibetan, Uighur and other ethnic peoples' independence. Just like the Qing, china will fall again due to its lack of respect for other peoples whom they look down on and call barbarians.
John Chan
@Viet dela Cruz.
Vietnam, the Philippines, USA, and Japan send warships not just few hundreds miles but also thousands miles from homeports to encroach other nation’s lands.
As you comment showed that the Philippines believes imperialist practice, it supports interference of other nation’s internal affairs. In according to the Principle of Reciprocity, let’s supply arms to the insurgents in the Philippines and help the insurgents break free from the corrupted kleptocracy regime in Manila.
John Chan
@Viet dela Cruz.
1. Vietnam, the Philippines, USA, and Japan send warships not just few hundreds miles but also thousands miles from homeports to encroach other nation’s lands.
2. As you comment showed that the Philippines believes imperialist practice, it supports interference of other nation’s internal affairs. In according to the Principle of Reciprocity, let’s supply arms to the insurgents in the Philippines and help the insurgents break free from the corrupted kleptocracy regime in Manila.
Errol T
Better amend that. We will be defending the Philippines’ interests, not sovereignity. They’re 2 different things.
Errol T
@ JC, i can reassure you that no Filipino ships will encroach within 200 miles of China’s shores because a.) we are not imperialists despite your accusations, and b.) we have no ships that would survive the attempt, and c.) we have no ships capable, period.
As to supplying weapons, didn’t Mao did that with the New People’s Army? And doing so in this new century, you’d just encourage our goverment to upgrade our counter-insurgents’ armaments. Not to mention what it would to China’s image.
Mazo
“The extra ordinary appointment of Satoshi Morimoto to head Japan’s Defense Ministry indicates that Japan is preparing for war against China,”
As usual, John Chan takes the prize for the most asinine comment of the article!
Having somebody “capable” at the helm in Tokyo is far less antagonistic than China’s $100 Billion Plus “official” military budget, yet apparently China believes it can stretch the definition of hypocrisy by simultaneously decrying US military expenditure as belligerent while justifying its own mammoth military expenditure as natural.
John Chan
@Mazo,
2011 military expenditures: USA 711 billions; China 143 billions; and Japan 59.3 billions.
2011 populations: USA 313,753,000; China 1,347,350,000; and Japan 127,610,000.
2011 military expenditure per capita: USA 2,266; China 106; and Japan 465.
Japan claims it is a pacifist nation with a pacifist constitution, but it spends nearly 5 times of China on military per capita, and the belligerent world bully spends 22 times of China on military per capita. Please tell me who are the hypocrites here, and who is stretching the definition of hypocrisy.
Errol T
That billions of dollars in US military budget don’t all go to the military. Billions of dollar get wasted lining up the pockets of those in the MICC. Better come up with a better figure.