Historically, due to regulations stipulating that its Self-Defense Forces are not a military force, Japan has long employed rank titles distinct from those used by other nations. However, the Japanese government intends to submit a plan to the Diet to revise the titles within the current fiscal year. As some of the adjusted titles overlap with those of the former Imperial Japanese military, this renaming scheme has sparked significant concern within Japan and among its neighbors that the country is on a course that will see it repeat the mistakes of the past.

It is another indication of the alarming trajectory of the country's military buildup and provocative actions under the guise of "national security" that have set alarm bells ringing.

Japan's push to revise its pacifist Constitution, particularly Article 9, which renounces war and prohibits the maintenance of armed forces, is a concerning departure from its post-World War II restraints. The relaxation of restrictions on lethal weapons exports and the deployment of offensive missiles signal a shift toward a more aggressive military posture. These actions contradict the spirit of Japan's Constitution and raise fears of a resurgence of its past militarism, a specter that still haunts the region. The historical lessons of Japan's militarist past are reminders of the dangers of unchecked military ambition.

At a United Nations Security Council meeting on maritime security on Monday,?Sun Lei, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, rebuked the Japanese representative — and that of the European Union — for unwarranted remarks on the situation in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, saying they "completely confound black and white".

The overall situation in both seas remains stable, and the South China Sea is one of the most freely navigated waterways, Sun said, pointing out that it is Japan that has been flexing its military muscles in the Taiwan Strait, sending a dangerous signal to separatist forces on the Chinese island.

Meanwhile, back home, Tokyo's plot is even more explicit. On the same day as the UN meeting, the Japanese government convened its first expert panel to revise the three landmark security documents. Citing the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi openly called for the government to prepare for new forms of warfare and prolonged emergencies, urging it to proactively strengthen the country's military capabilities and bolster its overall national power by coordinating its diplomatic, military, economic, technological and other strengths.

This is the lexicon of a nation arming for aggression, not one focused on "defense".

Likewise, Japan's collaboration with the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on military technologies including lethal drones, represents a strategic alignment that introduces new risks of aggression.

In another major development that underscores Japan's worrying military ambitions, for the first time since World War II, Japan's SDF joined the annual "Balikatan" military drills between the US and the Philippines as a full-fledged combat partner last week.

And last week, Japan's House of Representatives passed a bill to set up the national intelligence council and the national intelligence bureau, seeking to create the country's first centralized national-level intelligence system since World War II.

The disturbing trajectory Japan is on does not stop there. The Japanese government has significantly eased restrictions on arms exports, allowing the export of lethal weapons. In an apparent move to facilitate this dangerous policy, it is considering revising the Self-Defense Forces Act to allow the transfer of "surplus" military equipment overseas, including weapons with lethal and destructive capabilities, either free of charge or at low cost, The Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Sunday.

The wounds of Japan's past aggression have not healed because of its refusal to fully acknowledge the grave consequences of its military ambitions. Japan is urged to reflect on its history and avoid actions that could repeat past tragedies.

The international community must remain vigilant to prevent the resurgence of such tendencies as there is every sign that Japan's ruling clique, guided by a reckless revisionist agenda, is walking a path that leads the country away from peace toward a dangerous repeat of history.