Japan deploys missile defenses at 3 locations in Tokyo

National Apr. 08, 2012 - 04:20PM JST ( 38 )

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38 Comments

6

Stephen KnightApr. 08, 2012 - 06:10PM JST

Yeah, deploy your Patriot missile batteries smack in the middle of the nation's most populous city--that'll have a real calming effect, I'm sure... （−＿−；）
11

Ivan CoughanoffalotApr. 08, 2012 - 06:18PM JST

Oh, I bet our Dear Leader Ishihara is shuffling around semi-tumescent this afternoon. I'll bet he's got his Imperial Admiral pyjamas on under his wrinkled suit. There's a glint in his blinking eyes when he thinks about what he's got in his manor.

Please, whoever's in control of this, keep him away from any red buttons.
0

JapanGalApr. 08, 2012 - 06:29PM JST

April 15th. My birtthday too. Happy birthday dear leader...American income tax day
0

some14someApr. 08, 2012 - 06:56PM JST

overhauling of arsenal !
1

Darren BrannanApr. 08, 2012 - 07:06PM JST

An upgrade on the sharpened bamboo staves that is for sure. Of course it gives NK permission now to go all out. What the hawks in their military want.
-3

MustardKingApr. 08, 2012 - 07:09PM JST

One of the most expensive and most useless displays on Earth.
1

warnerbroApr. 08, 2012 - 07:14PM JST

"North Korean expert Masao Okonogi said Japan’s missile deployment was politically necessary to calm the public over the rocket launch."

This statement is nonsense. The public is completely calm. They could station the Manneken Pis around the country and it would make no difference. Nobody is the least bit concerned about this. The government is simply pretending it has the wherewithal to defend this nation. They can seldom manage to hit a projectile during tests on which they have complete information ahead of time. Shooting a Patriot missile in Tokyo is begging for an accident.
6

marcelitoApr. 08, 2012 - 07:14PM JST

What a load of hot air ...how glad the J govt must be that they can divert attention away from issues such as the tax increase debate, reactor restarts etc. and onto the big bad wolf - North Korea, even if it's just for a short while. Just a Japanese version of a neo-con " wag the dog" game.
0

SerranoApr. 08, 2012 - 07:59PM JST

"One of the most expensive and useless displays on Earth"

Unless, of course, the N Korean missile goes off course and veers toward Tokyo, which is not inconceivable.
1

Alistair CarnellApr. 08, 2012 - 08:08PM JST

I can see it now....Japan fires it's missles, misses, takes out neighbouring city and blames it on North Korea :(
0

SerranoApr. 08, 2012 - 08:20PM JST

Alistair - That's not going to happen.
0

ThunderbirdApr. 08, 2012 - 09:08PM JST

I really wanted to enter the japanese military ; (
3

titianApr. 08, 2012 - 09:14PM JST

Deploying these toys in residential Tokyo: a lot of electromagnetic noise, a lot of both "shadows" and reflectors for radars, intensive air traffic of two of the most busy Japanese airports, densely populated residential areas - too dangerous combination of factors for the system that even according to the Pentagon has an "actual performance that is worst than expected"...
-2

tmarieApr. 08, 2012 - 09:43PM JST

Um, which government officials was it last week asking people not to stress about this? Perhaps they could make a comment about the peacocking all this crap is. Yes, I am sure shooting anything out of the sky over Tokyo is a very reasonable thing to do. Idiots. Honestly, who thought this crap up?
0

Jay SinghApr. 08, 2012 - 10:20PM JST

And the dear leader arrives.....
2

James D. DunnApr. 08, 2012 - 10:31PM JST

Jesus.... That just stupid. The flight path of the missiles are going over Okinawa.

This is just getting the nations mind off the radiation and Nuke Plant trials and tribulations for a few days so they hope the public forgets about it.
-1

Michael Jun Sung ShimApr. 08, 2012 - 10:32PM JST

Shows how poor Japan's relations with N Korea is! Is this what you get when Koizumi visited N Korea not once but twice?
1

willynillyApr. 08, 2012 - 10:52PM JST

Deploying these toys in residential Tokyo

You don't suppose they're in Shin Okubo do you?
-1

YuriOtaniApr. 08, 2012 - 11:42PM JST

Oh it is a good drill for the troops, they can also view the Cherry Blossoms.
0

BessonovYanApr. 08, 2012 - 11:46PM JST

The communist state announced

2 JT:

That is not correct information. NK is not communist country. NK have not communist ideology, they have Chuch-hye.
0

WilliBApr. 08, 2012 - 11:48PM JST

Lots of grandstanding and posturing... in the end they will let Kim Yong Uns glorious Teppodong missile fly by without pushing any button. Mark my words.
1

DisillusionedApr. 09, 2012 - 12:54AM JST

My dog is bigger than your dog! - I believe that this young gun only wants to prove to his suppressed people that he is a worthy leader and launch a satellite. Although, the money spent on this satellite would have put a lot of food on the empty plates around NK. To me, that would show he is a great leader, but he is his father's son, after all!

And, for the Japanese: How much do you think the NK's are lapping up all this attention and tension? They are loving it! At least it is giving the JSDF something to do for a few weeks.
0

noriyosan73Apr. 09, 2012 - 02:11AM JST

Does anyone really believe that NK has targeted Tokyo? NK knows that it only gets one shot at any place. If Japan launched against THIS missile as it progressed towards Tokyo, it would have to be destroyed over the sea. Then the debris would fall on Tokyo causing wide spread damage and deaths. It would be better than a single hit, unless, of course, it had a nuclear weapon on it. There is a lot of talk by the government, but no action will happen.
0

proxyApr. 09, 2012 - 03:27AM JST

Scaring the populace is a good way for Japan to convince its citizens that the M-V should be weaponized.
-1

canadianbentoApr. 09, 2012 - 04:04AM JST

Well it sure looks like the Japanese jumped to attention when the Americans said too....
-1

DeploreApr. 09, 2012 - 04:54AM JST

They can seldom manage to hit a projectile during tests on which they have complete information ahead of time.

a. Which system are you talking about? Aegis or Patriot?

b. Link?
1

that korean guyApr. 09, 2012 - 05:42AM JST

i guess japan can forget about earthquake and tsunami worries for a few days. self-delusion into thinking that they have control always helps. politicians are the beneficiaries. (same can be said for the korean ones, too)
-3

tmarieApr. 09, 2012 - 09:16AM JST

Is this what you get when Koizumi visited N Korea not once but twice? How many years ago was that???

This is just getting the nations mind off the radiation and Nuke Plant trials and tribulations for a few days so they hope the public forgets about it.

Exactly. Wag the dog, anyone?
1

nandakandamandaApr. 09, 2012 - 12:21PM JST

Putting these around Tokyo does seem a bit OTT.

It's almost like sticking out your chin and saying "Hit me, hit me here!"
1

tamanegiApr. 09, 2012 - 02:04PM JST

Japan deploys missile defenses at 3 locations in Tokyo

This will do wonders for the yokoso japan effort
0

frontandcentreApr. 09, 2012 - 03:03PM JST

Uh-oh, checked some details about the accuracy of Patriot missiles and they seem to be pretty hit-and-miss given that they cost millions of dollars per shot. But they're American technology, so we must be perfectly safe, eh?
1

deepstar6Apr. 09, 2012 - 03:45PM JST

We don't want debris falling over our heads while drinking beer sitting under a cherry tree.
-3

tmarieApr. 09, 2012 - 05:35PM JST

Wouldn't it make more sense to have these in Okinawa??
0

SuperLibApr. 09, 2012 - 07:57PM JST

I tend to support the government on issues like this by default. We all know that if there is some accident and a missile lands in Japan the people will be asking the government why they didn't take any precautions when they had options. The odds of anything happening are slim, and soon the missiles will be put away and forgotten about. If you were in the government's position you'd do the same thing.
0

whiskeysourApr. 10, 2012 - 12:48AM JST

Does anybody know where they are ? I want to take a picture of them
0

The Wild TurkeyApr. 10, 2012 - 11:22AM JST

@ Whiskeysour

Well the address for the Ministry of Defence HQ can easily be found on google and on their Wikipedia page. From the photo and the angle of certain landmarks, it appears as if the battery has been set up in, what I assume, is the parade/exercise ground in the middle of complex, so I don't know how much you'll be able to see from the street.
0

just-a-bigguyApr. 10, 2012 - 02:46PM JST

Japan’s missile deployment was politically necessary to calm the public over the rocket launch...................This is totally nonsenses! What the Noda govt wants is waging a territory tensions to coverup the uncompetences of how DPJ handling the Fukushima disaster! A deception purpose!