Why would military build up in Japan cause concern for any country other than mabye China ?
69
Hanc3yApr 17, 2026
+36
Maybe because Japan used to commit atrocities against many Asian countries and still denies wrongdoing.
36
Public-Position7711Apr 18, 2026
+10
Oh stop it. They have amazingly delicious and c**** onigiri at their 7-11s and are you into Pokémon?!
10
Technical-Art4989Apr 19, 2026
What happened? No in history books taught so no!
0
Ultra_MetalApr 17, 2026
+34
The source is a Chinese website, so the story is told from China's point of view.
34
Puzzleheaded-Stage-6Apr 19, 2026
+1
WOW, are you saying Japanese atrocities in the WWII is just a story from "Chinese website"? And you get so many upvotes for this?
1
Xylus1985Apr 17, 2026
+21
Because of all the war crimes
21
Sgt_Pepper_88Apr 17, 2026
+23
Because Japan invaded China for three times.
23
HoneyBadger552Apr 17, 2026
+5
they took on russia
5
[deleted]Apr 17, 2026
+1
[deleted]
1
StellewindApr 17, 2026
+8
Stupidest comment I've read in years. When did China invade Japan and did unspeakable things?
8
tooeasilyboredApr 17, 2026
+10
When did China invade/attack Japan?
10
FindingAetherApr 18, 2026
+1
Well....technically speaking... China under the Yuan dynasty. It's kind of debatable since it's was under Mongolian rulership but then if that is so should we count acts by China under Qing as under Chinese as well or we can just exclude them..?
Either way, former Song naval talents and troops made up a huge percentage of the forces in the invasion.
1
SaltGas3789Apr 17, 2026
+9
When.. did China ever "do unspeakable things" on Japan? I don't remember a single case of China actually landing on Japan. Maybe the Yuan dynasty? but not only was that mongol lead, it was also fucked by the sea and never really touched Japan, so I don't know about any "unspeakable things done".
Meanwhile Japan across history
Constant piracy during the Yuan.
Invaded during the Ming, hitting Korea in an attempt to "conquer China" 1592
First Sino-Japanese war where they invaded the Qing, took Taiwan, Korea, Liaodong, Penghu, and forced china to pay massive fines and ports1895
Participated in the boxer rebellion, essentially slaughtering chinese civilians and storming the capital in 1900
Invaded Shandong in 1914
Pressured China to give up steel production, railways, and industry in southern manchuria in 1915
Completely took Machuria in 1931
Invasion of China/Second Sino-Japanese war in 1937.
Remind me where was the "turn" here?
9
reddit5674Apr 17, 2026
+8
Are you nuts? China never invaded Japan.
China has always been troubled by the Japan throughout the centuries.
8
AggravatingJudge7092Apr 17, 2026
-17
But that generation of Japanese and their ideology basically don't exist anymore.
Might aswell be concerned about the military build up in Germany, or stop trusting the UK which basically invaded the entire world and commited various atrocities over the course of centuries
-17
Deadman_WonderlandApr 17, 2026
+16
Don't exist anymore? You really don't know anything do you? The ruling party, the LDP, was created by some of the highest war criminal of ww2 and is still in power to this very day. The previous prime minister Shinzo Abe, is the grandson of Nobosuke kishi, who was a Class A war criminal that over saw the atrocities in China, and he get to go to free because the US backed him so he could form the LDP. Takaichi is a member of the LDP and visits the shrine for Japanese war criminal religiously. The same people and ideology that ran WW2 Japan still is in power. There's a reason the US wrote the Japanese constitution after WW2. They knew they didn't change anything, so they had to put in rules.
16
AggravatingJudge7092Apr 17, 2026
-10
You can not honest to god tell me that present day Japan is considering invading China and commiting all those heinous crimes again. What I am saying is that their military buildup has nothing to do with their ambitions from a bygone era. Idolising that part of their history is concering and disgusting yes but that doesn't mean they are planning to seige Manchuria anytime soon. You might find some neckbeards on twitter that long for the return of the empire but twitter trolls are hardly indicative of an entire populous
I think you'll agree that the more likely explanation for building up their military is so they can protect their sovereignty and military independence, especially after the whole ordeal with Trump backstabbing US allies.
-10
Important-Emu-6691Apr 17, 2026
+9
Most recent poll show most Japanese don’t even think it was a war of aggression, doesn’t think war crimes are committed, and think comfort women was voluntary
9
AggravatingJudge7092Apr 17, 2026
-6
"most Japanese" = 9% of people polled
And the comfort women part is just a straight up lie. The poll was about whether Japanese people viewed Japanese WW2 actions as self defense or being the agressor.
All this misinformation that is being brought up is typically found on platforms like Weibo and not a single credible source will mention anything like what you said
-6
Important-Emu-6691Apr 17, 2026
+3
https://news.web.nhk/newsweb/na/nb-5090034529
> このうち「アジア近隣諸国に対する日本の侵略戦争だった」という意見に対しては、全国では
>▽「そう思う」が３５％
>▽「そう思わない」が１６％
>▽「わからない」が４８％でした。
Idk where you get the 9% from if you don’t count the 48 I don’t know portion it’s still 16%.
Not being able to find a credible source is just
you not wanting to look.
3
AggravatingJudge7092Apr 17, 2026
+2
This is a different poll with the same question being asked it seems. Still, 16% is a far cry from "Majority", and it's a huge stretch to go infer that "I have no opinion" means "I support brutal warcrimes and r*** of minors" and once again this poll has nothing to do with pleasure women
2
Xylus1985Apr 17, 2026
+2
What are you smoking? Their government is still worshipping war criminals today. It’s just the equivalent of German PM worshipping Hitler
2
Witty_Formal7305Apr 17, 2026
+16
Japan has a relatively recent history of doing some pretty abhorrant shit with their military.
China, Korea, Vietnam, the Phillipines just to name a few were invaded by them and while obviously their actions in China are more widely known, they weren't exactly the nicest people to be invaded by regardless, there are absolutely still people alive who were around for that and even for those that weren't it was recent enough that surely their stories were passed down to family members who were connected to them (i.e people will feel more strongly about something done to their mother / grandmother that they actually knew vs their great great great relative they don't have an actual connection with)
16
Low-Temperature-6962Apr 18, 2026
+1
The war ended 85 years ago.
1
Salty_Simmer_SauceApr 18, 2026
+1
“The North remembers”
1
CattovosviditoApr 18, 2026
-5
Tbh youre a fool if you think its actually over.
After Yugloslavia fell, all the old wounds that had been festering for over half a century reopened.
Armenians and Azerbaijans massacred each other before the first World War and went right to war in the 90's once they gained independence.
If Japan wants to be a regional military power they at the very least need to take back the Dokdo islands from Korea. If they cant even handle a small country like Korea, then who would believe that they can contain China?
-5
Low-Temperature-6962Apr 18, 2026
+6
You are fool if recycling old wars is your idea of a good time.
6
Comfortable_Bike3247Apr 18, 2026
+6
Oh i dont know maybe because of all the war crimes Japan had committed and still deny to this day
6
n33bulzApr 18, 2026
+1
Uuuuuh because of the horrible shit they’ve done to the entirety of south east Asia and have yet to apologize for?
1
LinaLamontagueApr 19, 2026
+2
Dozens of apologies have been made, most recently in 2024.
[List of war apology statements issued by Japan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_war_apology_statements_issued_by_Japan)
>September 29, 1972: Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka said to the people of the People's Republic of China: "The Japanese side is keenly conscious of the responsibility for the serious damage that Japan caused in the past to the Chinese people through war, and deeply reproaches itself.
>August 24, 1982: Prime Minister Zenkō Suzuki said: "I am painfully aware of Japan's responsibility for inflicting serious damages [on Asian nations] during the past war." "We need to recognize that there are criticisms that condemn [Japan's occupation] as invasion"
>August 26, 1982: Chief Cabinet Secretary Kiichi Miyazawa said to the people of the Republic of Korea: "I. The Japanese Government and the Japanese people are deeply aware of the fact that acts by our country in the past caused tremendous suffering and damage to the peoples of Asian countries, including the Republic of Korea (ROK) and China, and have followed the path of a pacifist state with remorse and determination that such acts must never be repeated.
>May 25, 1990: Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu, in a meeting with President Roh Tae Woo, said: "I would like to take the opportunity here to humbly reflect upon how the people of the Korean Peninsula went through unbearable pain and sorrow as a result of our country's actions during a certain period in the past and to express that we are sorry"
>January 17, 1992: Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa, at a policy speech on a visit to South Korea, said: "What we should not forget about the relationship between our nation and your nation is a fact that there was a certain period in the thousands of years of our company when we were the victimizer and you were the victim. I would like to once again express heartfelt remorse and apology for the unbearable suffering and sorrow that you experienced during this period because of our nation's act."
>July 6, 1992. Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Kato said: "The Government again would like to express its sincere apology and remorse to all those who have suffered indescribable hardship as so-called 'wartime comfort women,' irrespective of their nationality or place of birth. With profound remorse and determination that such a mistake must never be repeated, Japan will maintain its stance as a pacifist nation and will endeavor to build up new future-oriented relations with the Republic of Korea and with other countries and regions in Asia.
2
SexyChernyshevskyApr 17, 2026
+5
They don’t trust or like Japan in Korea either.
5
Leading-Truck-7986Apr 18, 2026
+1
My man has never picked up a history book before in his life
1
NgetopApr 18, 2026
+1
DO you remember what Japan did after the US block their access to Oil, They invade entire SEA. How say it's not gonna happen again today?
1
GunpowderGuyApr 18, 2026
-1
Because of the atrocities they did to southeast asia ,which the govermnet vehemently denies and teaches it citizens never happened . Rethoric which influences the current military forces
-1
Public-Position7711Apr 18, 2026
I don’t know. Let’s go ask some comfort women.
0
Odd_Photograph_7591Apr 17, 2026
+22
You can't trust any country, governments change change in a flash
22
angelbelleApr 17, 2026
+14
It says most trusted, not trusted. It's a comparison.
14
heickelrrxApr 17, 2026
+17
because China is well know to pushing their border to south east asian country, Like Recently
They have border conflict with Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippine, Vietnam, Thailand, Brunei, you name it
17
Important-Emu-6691Apr 17, 2026
+6
All of those countries also have maritime border conflicts with all of the other countries. It’s almost like theres a dispute over the same area between all of those countries due to well actually something Japan did
6
heickelrrxApr 17, 2026
-2
Dude China is so far away from Indonesia
-2
Important-Emu-6691Apr 17, 2026
+11
Guam is pretty far from US main land too idk what distance have to do with anything.
11
IamDDTApr 17, 2026
-3
Dude, that is literally Trump's argument. That he can take territory from another country. That is the issue. Guam is internationally recognized as part of the US. Indonesia is manifestly not part of China, and neither is its internationally recognized EEZ.
-3
Comfortable_Tart_297Apr 17, 2026
+8
Dude, what kind of demented straw man did you come up with? China's not claiming Indonesia is a part of China. They're just participating in a free-for-all bickering over a bunch of uninhabited rocks in the South China Sea.
8
Important-Emu-6691Apr 17, 2026
+5
There isn’t a dispute over if Indonesia is part of China. The problem with SCS is there was a claim made by RoC according to their interpretation of the treaty of Taipei and treaty of San Francisco.
EEZ is a much later concept and a later claim, and the rules around it aren’t even agreed to.
5
CattovosviditoApr 18, 2026
+1
Today I learned China shares a border with Philippines, Thailand, Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
1
DrawingDramatic1641Apr 18, 2026
Not true brunei is one island phillipenese and vietnam are the main ones
0
HoneyBadger552Apr 17, 2026
+3
their military weapon sales will be astronomical
3
MAClaymoreApr 17, 2026
+3
Japan isn't Southeast Asia.
3
AyiHuthaApr 17, 2026
+10
I mean China is also building up its military and modern Japan is not Imperial Japan
10
HikariloApr 17, 2026
+9
Modern Japan is not Imperial Japan, but why does Modern Japan not even acknowledge the war crimes of the previous imperial government. Not even asking for an apology, but just to acknowledge that it did happen. This makes nations like China, South Korea, and other SEA nations nervous because Japan has never reflected on the atrocities it committed and said that's wrong and should not have happened.
9
SeparateFun1288Apr 18, 2026
+4
no, it makes YOU believe other countries are nervous lol
4
Charger_Reaction7714Apr 17, 2026
+2
Modern China is not imperial China either
2
MothBoySailorApr 18, 2026
+5
It's worse, actually.
5
Flimsy-Ad2701Apr 18, 2026
It makes 1 poor decision fkr that to change
0
Own_Cherry_1592Apr 18, 2026
+1
Japan has no resources. Sooner or later they need to colonize.
1
enkanshiApr 17, 2026
-3
In the short-term, it will be better for East Asia for Japan to be a meaningful military power to contest China. The US is unreliable at this point. The SEA nations need a second power to balance against Chinese aggression. They are rather weak and cannot remain autonomous unless there are two sides they can play against.
Although I'm Chinese and am aware of Japanese atrocities, I strongly support Japanese military build-up, a Japanese nuclear weapons program, and a reform of their constitution to become more independent from the US.
That being said, in the long-term, it would not be inconceivable for Japan to become an enemy in the future. I am more positive about German remilitarization because they have made significant efforts to seek forgiveness for the Holocaust. The Japanese have been constantly denying their war crimes, so they are at great risk of turning aggressive due to nationalistic zeal in the future.
Frankly I wish the future could be better, but a series of bad choices from the power's major powers: US, China, Europe, and Russia have lead us into this situation.
-3
Aggravating-Coast335Apr 18, 2026
-2
别装中国人了
还“强烈支持日本的军事扩张、日本核武计划”呢，哈哈
这么喜欢巴结日本人的吗？
Don't pretend to be Chinese. And the "strongly support Japan's military expansion, Japan's nuclear weapons program", ha ha.
you so immersed in sucking up to the Japan?
-2
JerbTrooneetApr 17, 2026
+1
JICA has been a huge help in this regard. People won't hate you if you literally help other countries build stuff that make their lives better. China tried to do this but their projects have so many strings attached that they came off as really untrustworthy.
1
-Not-Your-Lawyer-Apr 17, 2026
Japan is considered part of Southeast Asia?
0
Inner-Thought9665Apr 17, 2026
-6
Why? China. That’s it. Japan apologize but China have other plans.
-6
MeBollasDelleroApr 17, 2026
-2
Because of… (fixed it)
-2
LateralEntryApr 17, 2026
-1
Kinda crazy given Japan’s history in Southeast Asia
-1
[deleted]Apr 18, 2026
+1
[deleted]
1
ReveniantApr 18, 2026
+1
Yeah I won't think about it too much if they stayed "self defense force". Switching it to regular force that has the ability to wage war is definitely not in my peace bingo card.
65 Comments