Japanese troops in the Philippines a grave misstep

As more than 1,000 of Japan Self-Defense Forces personnel and multiple warships, aircraft, and anti-ship missile systems arrived in the Philippines for the Balikatan military exercises, we are witnessing a chilling watershed moment. This is the first time since the end of World War II that Japanese combat forces have entered Southeast Asia, marking a definitive stride in Japan's remilitarization. More importantly, it signals a dangerous pivot by the Manila administration — one that crosses a critical threshold by trading national sovereignty for the sake of turning the archipelago into a multilateral frontline military hub. This shift has sent shockwaves through regional security.

Within Manila's elite circles, these exercises are being hailed as a "milestone" in Philippine-Japanese security relations. To mask their complex motives, the official narrative is working overtime to sanitize the shadows of history, swapping the memory of past trauma for provocative rhetoric regarding "external threats".

However, the sight of Japanese troops back in the Philippines inevitably reopens deep historical wounds. The Japanese occupation from 1942 to 1945 remains one of the darkest chapters in human civilization.

We remember the infamous Bataan Death March of 1942, where roughly 75,000 Philippine people and American prisoners of war were driven like cattle on a 105-kilometer stretch. An estimated 15,000 men were bayoneted, shot or simply bludgeoned to death by Japanese forces during that march. We remember the Manila massacre of 1945, where a cornered Japanese military engaged in the organized slaughter of over 100,000 civilians, committing arson and mass rape in places such as Fort Santiago and Intramuros.

Across the Philippines, this "historical déjà vu" has sparked profound unease. For many families, the trauma of World War II is not a dusty relic of the past, but a tragedy passed down through generations. Voices of reason are now speaking out against this military embrace. Groups such as the "Malaya Lolas" (survivors of wartime sexual slavery) and various civic organizations argue that Manila should not seek security by inviting back the very force that once devastated the nation. Critics rightly point out that because Tokyo has never provided a full, formal and legally binding accounting for its wartime crimes, this "unconditional" military access is a secondary assault on the dignity of the victims.

The return of Japanese fatigues to the islands puts the entire region on high alert. We must ask: when a nation has failed to thoroughly reckon with its history, does the "normalization" of its military power not sow the seeds of a new and significant danger?

Japan's high-profile deployment is a calculated step in its strategy of "national normalization" and military expansion. The country's defense budget has climbed for 13 consecutive years, now hitting the critical threshold of 2 percent of GDP. Tokyo has loosened the "Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology", and is now exporting lethal hardware, including next-generation fighter components and other offensive military capabilities to the region. The current political climate in Japan has removed the mask of restraint. Some Japanese officials have openly issued war threats and attempted to dismantle the postwar pacifist order entirely, repositioning the defense industry as the "engine of economic security".

Using the Philippines as a springboard, Japan is effectively "normalizing" its military presence in Southeast Asia. This will be remembered as the moment Japan's overseas military power was officially resurrected.

Simultaneously, the Philippines has reached a strategic crossroads. Manila is not only expanding US military sites and introducing advanced offensive weapons such as midrange missiles, but also using high-frequency multilateral drills and access agreements to place its territory on the front lines of a multi-power confrontation. The Reciprocal Access Agreement with Japan provides the legal veneer for this presence. Under Manila's current trajectory, the scope of its visiting forces agreements is expanding so rapidly that the Philippines is essentially becoming a "shared revolving door" for foreign militaries.

This attempt to "balance" the region by inviting outside powers comes at the cost of neutrality and diplomatic autonomy. It is a sale of sovereignty and the people's right to peace. As recent global conflicts have shown, when hostilities break out, the local population is not shielded by foreign military bases and hardware. Rather, they become the primary targets. Manila's strategic shift is generating risks that far outweigh any perceived "defense dividends".

The world is already volatile enough. The South China Sea and Southeast Asia do not need more trip wires. History has proven time and again that hardening military alliances exacerbates the "security dilemma" rather than easing it. Rearming a former aggressor and placing its troops on the front lines is an affront to the conscience of the post-war international order.

Japan has already made a misstep, yet in another concerning move, a Japanese SDF vessel entered the Taiwan Strait on Friday, displaying force and engaging in deliberate provocation. Japan has compounded its error by doing so.

The true aspiration of the Asia-Pacific is development and cooperation. The people in the region deserve peace and prosperity, not a zero-sum geopolitical game that drags the region to the brink of war. Rather than reliving a historical nightmare, it is time for a rational return to a path of peace.

The author is a research fellow at the Institute of Peaceful Development in the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

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