What is Japan doing and why?

I read in the paper this morning Japanese troops are coming over here to practise military might and right with our troops. I think we are also practising military stuff with China and Lord knows who else as well. This used to be Australia. We got rid of conscription after Vietnam and gave 18 year olds the vote because we believed if they were young enough to die, they were young enough to vote. Our conscription was a lottery. If your birthday came up , you went. It was hideous. Stupid. The ones who came back were ignored but they have had so many problems and these have only been recognised relatively recently. The damage is done. We didn't want to participate in that kind of destructive international relations again. So we thought. Now of course, some people are quite pleased with all the military might stuff. Genuinely under threat, yes, we'd protect ourselves because it's our home. But threats are being generated and concocted left right and centre. So, what is Japan doing, because they, too , wanted to be a peaceful nation? I thought we'd outgrown barbaric practices. This is 2004. They keep going on about Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great at the moment as though there is some link which escapes me, I can assure you. We have moved on! I thought. And now for the link!!! You can read more about the Japanese situation in Douglas Lummis' article.

Douglas Lummis Why are the Japanese Self-Defence Forces in Iraq?