TOKYO -- The Ground Self-Defense Force's live-fire exercise at the foot of Mount Fuji every August is an enormously popular event. Known as the "Fuji Firepower Exercise," the event features a wave of firing heavy tanks that shake the ground as they pass and a fleet of military helicopters that hover above spectators. Roughly 20 applications are made for every available spectator seat.
It is a spectacular site, even for people who do not consider themselves big fans of military displays or war games.
Nearly three decades ago, I visited the GSDF's base in the city of Nayoro, Hokkaido. At that time, there were calls among policymakers for consolidating Self-Defense Forces bases. A senior GSDF officer tasked with answering my questions repeatedly stressed the importance of maintaining Camp Nayoro, the GSDF's northernmost base.