During the late Cold War, the Japanese General Staff considered two scenarios for the development of events in the event of a global confrontation between the United States and the USSR. The first provided for the reflection of the Soviet landing in Hokkaido. For this, the largest units of the ground forces in the country were created there. The second plan, on the contrary, provided for an offensive in the direction of the South Kuriles, with the defeat of the Soviet units stationed on Iturup. It was for this that the most diverse amphibious means were "sharpened".
In many popular sources, almost nothing is said about these ships. However, they did exist. For example, the Miura tank landing ships. A total of three units were built. In addition to tanks, each took almost 200 troops. Length 98 meters. Displacement 3200 tons at full load.
Here you can also add Atsumi-class tank landing ships with approximately the same characteristics. It is 89 meters long, with a total displacement of 2500 tons. There were also 3 units in the ranks.
Let us also mention the Yura-class landing ships (or Yuri, in different sources the name sounds differently). 2 units built. Length 60 meters. Displacement 600 tons.
Here we must immediately make a reservation: if the Third World War began, then all these ships (like their Soviet or American counterparts), most likely, would not have reached anywhere. There would be nowhere, and there is no need.
After the end of the Cold War, the development vector of the Japanese Navy changed, and most of the landing ships were scrapped. First, the strategy in relations with Russia has changed. Secondly, the courts are outdated morally and physically. The fact is that all of them could land either directly off the coast or not far from it. So, the likelihood of their destruction was higher than ever.
Instead of decommissioned on the basis of "better less, but better" came a new generation of ships. Their construction at one time caused a lot of noise in the countries adjacent to Japan. These are, of course, the Osumi-class amphibious assault ships. For the first time in post-war history, Japanese engineers created an aircraft carrier-type deck, on which helicopters and tiltrotors could land. And that's not counting the internal dock with two LCAC hovercraft. Now the Land of the Rising Sun can carry out the landing of troops from great distances. The length of the ship is 178 meters. Full displacement 14,000 tons.
The newest helicopter carriers of the Hyuga class (pictured below, 2 units in service) and Izumo are not amphibious, but they may well be used for this purpose. Fortunately, the deck and hangars are very spacious. At the same time, the old helicopter carriers of the "Haruna" and "Shirane" classes, which carried only three helicopters, went to the scrap or are about to go.
Here we must immediately make a reservation that we are not talking about a hypothetical invasion on the territory of neighboring countries, but about landing on the coast of one of our remote islands, if by that time it will be occupied by the enemy. Formally, there is no Marine Corps in Japan, since it belongs to the offensive types of weapons, but in fact its role is performed by the 13th Brigade of the Ground Self-Defense Forces.
In the foreseeable future, Japan plans to slightly expand its amphibious capabilities. In particular, we are talking about the purchase of one of the American UDCs of the "Wasp" type. It is also possible to build additional ships "Osumi". But so far these are only plans.
