Alarms are ringing over signals that Japan is in the process of loosening self-imposed restrictions on its military capabilities due to tensions with China over territorial disputes in the East China Sea and also with North Korea over its sabre-rattling.
Last week, Japan's finance minister, Taro Aso, said his country could learn from the Nazis in post-World War I Germany in their moves to circumvent the Weimar constitution which prohibited it from re-arming.
There has been no official effort to rewrite clauses in Japan's US-designed constitution which prohibit Japan from re-arming, but Mr Aso's comments, which he has since retracted, are in line with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's pledge to loosen restrictions on Japan's military.
After he took office in December, Mr Abe ordered a review of defence guidelines, and he has repeatedly placed importance on strengthening the country militarily so it can take more responsibility for its own security rather than leaving it up to its allies, chiefly the US.
In fact, Japan's expenditures on military hardware are already quite considerable, around US$50 billion (1.5 trillion baht), but the present constitution allows defensive military capabilities only. It prohibits the development or purchase of weapons systems that are offensive in nature. The distinction can be a bit hazy.
Mr Abe's government denies there has been a shift from a defensive to an offensive stance, but the line between the two postures became further blurred last month when a defence ministry report recommended significant strengthening of the country's military capabilities, including the purchase of surveillance drones, the establishment of a marine forces unit to counter attacks on remote islands and the consideration of methods of deterrence against ballistic missile strikes.
The report said Japan's defence policies needed to be reviewed in light of North Korean missile and nuclear tests and "China's increasing [maritime] activities in Japan's vicinity".
Final proposals will be made by December.
Without question Japan's more hawkish stance is driven primarily by disputes with China over a chain of islands in the East China Sea.
Late last month, Chinese coastguard vessels confronted Japanese boats near islands claimed by both sides and declared Chinese sovereignty.
As yet there have been no shooting confrontations, but clearly there is a real potential for hostilities from one side or the other which could quickly escalate.
Many may feel that Japan's security concerns are legitimate and it is justified in taking strong action, and that a Japan that is more powerful militarily would provide a needed balance to China's growing and sometimes overbearing military presence in the region.
However, the end result of Japan's abandoning its defensive-only stance will almost surely be heightened tensions, and if the trend continues it will inevitably drive a regional_ and quite likely global _ arms race.
There is little doubt that given its technological and industrial capabilities, Japan could become a major military power relatively quickly if it so desires. Fortunately, despite the large military budget, at this point it does not look like the government is preparing to go down that path, and there is no indication the Japanese people would follow if it did.
However, the Chinese are understandably wary of any sign that their neighbour to the east might reappear as a global military power.
Aside from the territorial disputes, the lingering resentments from the Japanese occupation in World War II and the perception that Japan hasn't truly tried to make amends for the suffering it caused continue to darken relations between the two countries.
On the other hand, almost 60 years after World War II the Japanese people are to be commended for making an effort to embrace a non-militaristic stance. If all countries that have in the past been guilty of unprovoked military aggression and atrocities followed suit, this world would be a much better and much safer place _ not to mention all the resources that would be freed up to tackle environmental and health problems.
Unfortunately, this is not going to happen any time soon. Nonetheless, it would be wise for the Chinese government to be aware that the best way to guard against Japan's rearmament is to turn down the level of confrontation in the East China Sea.