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Level of Education

Undergraduate

Abstract

Sheila Smith, a long-time political scientist focused on Asia-Pacific studies and an expert on Japan specifically, would publish possibly her most influential work in 2019: Japan Rearmed: The Politics of Military Power. In this well-researched work of hers, she gives the reader an in-depth yet concise look at the reasons for Japan’s rearmament, the history of their Self Defense Force, and the challenging political situation that was built in the wake of a world war that still affects them today. This book goes over much of what is needed to understand why Japan’s military is in the shape it is in today, from the early Cold War all the way to the end of the 2010s. She explains how outside threats from Russia, North Korea, and a rising China have continued to challenge the Japanese into realizing what their military should and shouldn’t be. She also explains how the U.S.-Japan alliance has continued to be a massive factor in Japanese security. Whether it is the internal politics between politicians who clash over what it truly means to never maintain any of the war potential that’s mentioned in the Japanese Constitution, or the external politics of other nations that affect Japan, all facets are covered in this versatile work of hers. This review attempts to evaluate her book and its use to better understand Japan’s Self-Defense Force, as well as the history of the politics that encompass it.

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