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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Justin McCurry in Tokyo

‘China in mind’: Japan mulls beefing up military as Ukraine war rings alarm

Japan's prime minister Fumio Kishida rides a tank at Camp Asaka in Tokyo.
Japan's prime minister, Fumio Kishida, rides a tank at Camp Asaka in Tokyo. Photograph: Kiyoshi Ota/AP

Weeks after he became Japan’s prime minister last year, Fumio Kishida pulled on a dark green bomber jacket, the hinomaru flag emblazoned on his sleeve, and climbed into a tank.

Official photos show him displaying an awkward smile for his audience at Camp Asaka – the men and women of the the country’s Self-Defence Forces – an indication, perhaps, that postwar Japanese leaders and military hardware have not always been easy bedfellows.

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