The Myth of Japanese Pacifism: Public Support for Japan's High-Risk Military Operation during Afghanistan Evacuation

Abstract

Although the need for U.S.-Japan cooperation during potential East Asian crises is ever-increasing, our understanding of Japanese public opinion on security policies and military actions remains severely limited. We leveraged a rare opportunity when Japan deployed its de facto military, the Self-Defense Forces (SDFs), for a high-risk mission: the August 2021 evacuation from Afghanistan. Based on a "real-time" survey experiment, we show that the public did not adhere to the principle of civilian control. Moreover, about 30% of Japanese citizens supported the high-risk military operation, even with potential SDF casualties, regardless of the outcomes of the operation. These results challenge the widespread perception of Japanese citizens as inherently anti-military and pacifist, suggesting more nuanced views on their attitudes toward military engagement and security policies.

Keywords: alliance, civilian control, casualty sensitivity, Japan, Afghanistan

JEL Classification: D74, F51, F52, H56