It's not like anyone in America ever said amphibious assault ships were "totally not carriers", since there was no legal reason they'd need to avoid anything in the American constitution about not building carriers. A good many of them were obsolete fleet carriers repurposed to helicopter carriers, then amphibious assault ships because their runways were too short for modern aircraft.
It was America that forced Japan into signing a constitution that had a no-carriers clause, but if Japan were to expressly declare they wanted them, America would be willing to sell them the planes for their new carriers. It's Japan keeping itself in check with its constitution, and it's a matter of how much they want to stretch the definition or go all-out and formally amend their constitution to say they have a de jure army and navy again instead of a "self defense force", because it's not like anyone else is going to step in and say no.
"Research Vessels". Totally daijoubu dess~. I am completely for Japan having their own legit full blown military. Considering their *ahem* "neighbors" it might be wise.
I wonder if the JMSDF will ever drop the pretense and refit them with a ski-jump ramp for the F-35B. I mean, the Japanese constitution doesn't have any specific prohibition against aircraft carriers. They're just prohibited from having offensive weapons. Air defense is not an offensive weapon, is it?
It's not like anyone in America ever said amphibious assault ships were "totally not carriers", since there was no legal reason they'd need to avoid anything in the American constitution about not building carriers. A good many of them were obsolete fleet carriers repurposed to helicopter carriers, then amphibious assault ships because their runways were too short for modern aircraft.
It was America that forced Japan into signing a constitution that had a no-carriers clause, but if Japan were to expressly declare they wanted them, America would be willing to sell them the planes for their new carriers. It's Japan keeping itself in check with its constitution, and it's a matter of how much they want to stretch the definition or go all-out and formally amend their constitution to say they have a de jure army and navy again instead of a "self defense force", because it's not like anyone else is going to step in and say no.
