Aonghas Crowe

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How Many Subs Does Japan have?

Just how many subs does Japan--a country that technically does not maintain military forces--actually possess?

"Article 9. Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.

"In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained."

Oh, never mind about that.

For some perspective, Japan started the Pacific War with 63 ocean-going submarines (i.e., not including midgets), and finished construction on an additional 111 during the war, for a total of 174. Three-quarters of these (128 boats) were lost during the conflict, a proportion of loss similar that experienced by Germany's U-Boats. For more go here.