Japan scraps military parade to bolster defences against China, Russia, North Korea
Japan’s military is also planning to deploy drones to boost its defence amid a manpower shortage and increasingly aggressive neighbours
The ministry said in a press release late last month that it has become “difficult to continue” the ceremony, as it needed to “maintain our nation’s watertight defence posture in the face of the most severe and complex security environment since the end of World War II”.
Japanese ground, maritime and air services had been taking turns hosting the event every autumn, and this year, the maritime force was to hold a naval review in Sagami Bay, Kanagawa prefecture, southwest of Tokyo.
Defence Minister Gen Nakatani told a press conference earlier this month that the event had helped boost military morale and deepen public understanding of their activities, but he admitted that conducting a ceremony every year had placed a heavy burden on the forces.
Citing China and Russia’s intensifying military activities in areas surrounding Japan and North Korea’s nuclear and missile development, Nakatani said there should not be the “slightest gap” in Japan’s response.