japan's navy today took delivery of its biggest warship  since the second world war as it continues expanding its military capability in an attempt to shed its post war pacifism today the izumo, a helicopter carrier as big as  the imperial navy aircraft carriers that battled the united  states in the pacific, was delivered to the navy in a crowning achievement for the nation's military forces with a crew of 470 sailors, it is a highly visible  example of how japan is expanding the capability of its military  to operate overseas  as prime minister shinzo  abe seeks lawmaker approval to loosen the restraints of japan's  pacifist post war constitution scroll down for video  the japanese navy's new aircraft carrier, named the izumo, cruises towards yokosuka base, in kanagawa, japan  navy soldiers stand at attention and salute on board the helicopter carrier during its commissioning ceremony in japan today  pictured left (and far right next to a much smaller navy ship) is the izumo, which is equal in size to the aircraft carriers japan deployed throughout the pacific during the second world war  navy and dockyard workers attending the ship's commissioning ceremony today looked on in awe at the massive aircraft carrier  hundreds of sightseers also visited the dock hoping to catch a glimpse of the huge boat here civilians watch as it departs from yokohama base, south of tokyo  sailors stand at attention on the deck of the warship, while a japanese naval flag flutters before them the huge warship is considered symbolic of japan's growing military capabilities  the 248metre (813ft) long warship resembles us marine  corp amphibious assault carriers in size and design but it is  designated as a helicopter destroyer   a label that allows japan  to keep within the bounds of a constitutional ban on owning the  means to wage war aircraft carriers, because of their ability  to project force, are considered offensive weapons general nakatani, japan's minister of defence, told media at the handover ceremony in yokohama: 'the vessel can serve in a wide range of roles including  peace keeping operations, international disaster relief and  aid it also helps improve our ability to combat submarines' japan is also adding longer range patrol aircraft and  military cargo planes to its defence capability, and buying  lockheed martin f 35 fighter jets, amphibious assault  vehicles and boeing's osprey troop carrier, which can  operate from the izumo president abe's attempts to ease japan's pacifist constitution and its build up in defence capabilities is unnerving neighbour china the izumo does not have a catapult necessary to launch  fixed wing fighters, but a planned vertical take off and landing  (vtol) variant of the f 35 could fly from the izumo's flight  deck based at yokosuka naval base near tokyo, also the home port  of the us seventh fleets carrier battle group, the izumo will  join two smaller helicopters carriers already in service that  are also classed as destroyers soldiers march and salute on the deck of the massive warship, which is capable of holding a maximum of 28 aircraft  however, japan classes it as a helicopter destroyer, a label that allows it to keep within the bounds of a constitutional ban on owning the means to wage war  general nakatani, japan's defense minister, speaks to naval soldiers during the commissioning ceremony of the izumo warship  soldiers untangle a rope on board the aircraft carrier, which measures 250m in length  japan's constitution, known as the peace constitution, is most famous for the renunciation of the right to wage war it was drawn up under the allied occupation which followed the second world war and was intended to replace japan's previous militaristic and absolute monarchy system with liberal democracy japan was responsible for drawing the us into the war after it launched a surprise attack on the us naval base pearl harbor in 1941 the attack was intended as a preventive action to keep the us from interfering with its planned military actions in southeast asia, which included overseas territories of the uk, netherlands, and the united states the conflict escalated massively when the us dropped an atomic bomb on hiroshima on august 6, 1945 this led to the surrender of the empire of japan on september 2, 1945 and brought the hostilities of world war ii to a close japan's constitution was enacted on may 3, 1947 hiroshima was left devastated (pictured) after the us dropped an atomic bomb on the city, ending the war and leading to the 'peace constitution'
japan the second world war izumo 250m the imperial navy us pacific
japan's navy has officially taken control of biggest warship the country has owned since the second world war . the izumo, a 250m aircraft carrier, is as big as the imperial navy carriers that battled the us in the pacific . it has a crew of 470 sailors and is symbolic of how pacifist japan is expanding its overseas military capabilities 