Bundeswehr; Wikimedia Commons

Bundeswehr; Wikimedia Commons

Constitutionally mandated to maintain only a relatively small defensive force, Germany has recently made moves to expand its military power.  Federal President Joachim Gauck stated last week that Germany must stop using its past as a “shield” and use its armed forces more frequently and decisively. This suggests that longstanding German aversion to the use of military power may be shifting. Is Japan undergoing a similar consideration?