1947 a defeated and occupied Japan adopts a US-drafted pacifist constitution barring it from maintaining land, sea or air forces 1952 the occupation ends and the US and Japan seal a security treaty giving US forces extensive rights to bases and to quell domestic dissent 1954 pushed by the US, Japan establishes the Self Defence Forces, which eventually develop into one of the region’s strongest militaries 1960 in spite of fierce opposition within Japan, Washington and Tokyo seal a new and somewhat more equal treaty, marking the start of the current alliance 1990 Japan criticised for failing to contribute forces to the war against Iraq 1992 Japan dispatches hundreds of troops to Cambodia under a new peacekeeping law allowing SDF involvement in UN-mandated operations 2004 Japan sends troops to Iraq to support the US occupation 2009 government plans special legislation to allow SDF warships to use weapons in defence of non-Japanese shipping
