MSDF to do Somali Piracy Mission

Very surprised this bill went thru. The Japanese navy, er, Maritime Self Defense Forces (MSDF) will send 2 ships to the Indian Ocean to protect ships from pirates. (Japan has a navy?)

Well, they'll help Japanese ships anyway or ships connected to Japan, ie with Japanese cargo.

Better than nothing I guess, but it kinda seems like what if Australia sent rescue dogs to an Earthquake in Japan just to search for Australians?

People might ask me:
--Do American ships help any other ship?
--Yes. We've been doing it for months. So have the Canadians among others.
--Mmmm... well Japan likes peace! We are a small country!

One person got angry when I mentioned it because Japan isn't supposed to have a military and the US forced it to 50 years ago. There is some truth to the gripe, but it ignores the basis for this discussion: what are Japan's international obligations, can it promote peace entirely from the sidelines, and if not Japan, who should send people into harm's way? If a mission is considered worthy, can't Japan join? Most people just say "We don't like war." or "The UN should fix it." and that's the end of the thought process.

It would be really interesting to see the reaction if a Chinese destroyer saved a Japanese vessel.