Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano stated that the government would send Self-Defense Force (SDF) helicopters to the Fukushima plant to put out the fire that was causing the smoke.

FORBES: As Japan Nuclear Fears Rise, Faith In Government Plumments

That Japan and here I mean not just the Japan Democratic Party (DPJ) Noda cabinet, but also the ministry of foreign affairs (MOFA) and self-defense forces (SDF) bureaucracies, and, particularly, the factions within the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party (DPJ) and nationalists allied with former Tokyo major Ishihara Shintaro did not expect a ferocious response from China, including shows of naval force and threats of occupation, is not credible.

FORBES: Is Japan Risking War to Save the U.S.-Japan Alliance?

This week the SDF and U.S. Navy and Air Force launched a massive 16-day joint exercise off the southern islands of Kyushu and Okinawa involving 47, 000 men (10, 000 Americans), 30 ships, a U.S. carrier, and 240 aircraft.

FORBES: Is Japan Risking War to Save the U.S.-Japan Alliance?