How strong is the Japanese self defence force???

Question

How strong is the Japanese "Ji-ei-tai", the self defense force??? Its has been said by various professors studying world peace, that Japan holds the fifth strongest defense force in the world.
I also heard that though the US lowers the quality of most weapons they export to other countries, (So in case they got in a war, they could have superior arms.) Japan is the only nation that is a exception from this.
(BTW, for ur info, Japan has a bigger force than England or France)

Answer 1

With the resurgence of China and North Korea with powerful armed forces, the Japanese army is very much vulnerable to defeat in case of attack because it has not really rebuilt its military after the defeat in World War 2.

Answer 2

You haven't phrased the question right. By strict definition, a peacekeeping force is a detachment from a nation's military tasked with maintaining an adjudicated ceasefire, or imposing law and order, usually under the aegis of an international organization. By this definition, Japan undoubtedly has a military. However, Japan also has the world's only explicitly pacifist constitution. Article 9 prohibits the deployment of forces against another nation in an act of aggression. Deployments to Rwanda, Cambodia, and Iraq have met these standards. As for capabilities, I have worked with the Japanese military for years, but your question was not about capability; it was about a vague notion of "status". The Kwantung Army is no more; the current Japanese military is not the same one responsible for the Marco Polo bridge, Bataan Death March, the fall of Shanghai or Nanjing. Let that not be left unsaid.

Answer 3

Japan recently changed the constitution so that future changes in regards to the defense force will have to be by mojority not a certain percentage.
In regards to your question, they are indeed very strong, it is a misnomer to say defense force. They are formitable, they truly fear the Koreans and the Cinese, was over there recently and they are an amazing nation, hardest working people I have ever seen, still very nationalistic, they will soon throw off the use of the US as a defense force, and will assume their own defense.
They will in a year or so have thier own nukes, they have the current tech to make them in 6 months.

What is taking place in the world is sliding under the radar, it is a very dangerous time we are entering into, but all the while most just focus on Bush and what is affecting the US directly.
Great question, by the way.

Answer 4

No, Japan does not have a larger force than France.

France 460K
Japan 295K
UK 250K

All 3 spend about the same amount of money on defense.

Answer 5

Military age 18 to 27 years of age Availability males age 18-49: 27,003,112
females age 18-49: 26,153,482 (2005 est.)
Fit for military service males 22,234,663
females 21,494,947
(2005 est.)
Reaching military age annually males: 683,147
females: 650,157(2005 est.)
Military expenditures
Dollar figure $44.3 billion (2005)
Percent of GDP 1% (2004)