Description
This paper draws on ontological security literature to discuss the role of the military in providing for a state’s sense of status and (self)-esteem. It focuses on the case of Japan and the overseas security deployment of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF). Deploying the military overseas has historically represented a paradox for the Japanese government. Until the 1990s, due to the association with Japanese imperialism and militarism, the military was a marker of shame. However, in the current security environment, the ability to deploy the military overseas marks a state’s status as a grown-up member of the international community. Therefore, the Japanese government sees it as necessary to be accepted as a peer in the international system. In this paper, I explore the implications of this paradox by linking it to an ontological security framework, which looks at how actors seek to stabilise their identity and narrative to secure their sense of being. I critically analyse how Japan’s participation in overseas security operations is presented to domestic and international audiences, arguing that such communication is illustrative of the Japanese conservatives’ desire to (re)claim (self)-esteem through the ‘normalisation’ narrative. By so doing, I argue that portraying the military as a reliable institution that can be deployed overseas, and that is trusted and respected by the international community, allows Japanese conservatives to redefine what it means to be Japanese in the international system.
