From Pacifism to Preparation
April 28, 2022

The message from Tokyo is unambiguous: prepare Taiwan for war.

For too long, Nippon has watched the balance of power in the Pacific tilt eastward. With America retreating from its post-WWII role as the world's arbiter, Taiwan has been left dangerously exposed. Beijing's war drums thunder with growing confidence. The intrusions, the drills, the rhetoric--they're no longer warnings. They're promises.

Now, at last, Nippon acts.

Military advisers from the Self-Defense Forces have touched down in Taipei, marking a historic reversal of postwar policy. For decades, Nippon's Article 9 served as a chain--now it's being broken, link by link. Those advisers are not just teachers; they are the vanguard of a newly awakened military state.

Joint training programs have begun with the Republic of China Armed Forces. Live-fire exercises simulate Shina’s beach assaults. Civilians in Kaohsiung and Taichung are being drilled in shelter protocol. Production of everything from drone systems to shoulder-launched anti-air has tripled. Nippon's private defense sector, long stagnant, is roaring to life. Mitsubishi’s tank lines hum through the night. Type 10 MBTs roll out like clockwork. Daikin and Howa factories now operate under near wartime conditions.

Taiwan’s generals know the clock is ticking. And Nippon’s prime minister has made it clear: Taiwan will not face Shina alone. Not anymore.

The Pacific is changing. A new alliance rises.

And the old imperial sun begins to cast its long shadow once more over Formosa.