Japanese Self-Defence Forces, Japan's unified military command, activated its first marine component since World War II at a military base near Sasebo on the south-west island of Kyushu.
Dubbed the Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade, or ARDB, the newly formed group displayed their ability to repel and recapture islands from other occupying forces.
Japan, in its post-Second World War constitution Japan renounced the right to wage war.
Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade (ARDB) has been Inducted to bolster its defences against China.
Japan and China have a long history of territorial disputes over islands in the East China Sea, in particular a rocky, uninhabited island chain known as the Diaoyu Islands in Beijing and the Senkaku in Tokyo.