“It is necessary to break away from the illusion of ‘Japan as a great power’ demanded by domestic hawks”. Takahashi Kosuke argues the media frames Japan as an equal to the more powerful China and US, creating public misperception about Japan’s actual, much weaker economic and military strength.

Main article here-
https://toyokeizai.net/articles/-/928714

Excerpt:

Is it enough to just feel exhilarated without facing reality?

In response to this Chinese backlash, hardline conservative voices within Japan are gaining momentum, calling for “not yielding to China's intimidation” and “responding resolutely.” For example, the February 2026 issue of the conservative opinion magazine WiLL published an article titled “The Takaichi Strategy to Silence Wolf Warrior Diplomacy.” “Enough is Enough! China, the Villain.”

Certainly, such rhetoric emphasizing national prestige and nationalism strongly criticizes China and stirs patriotic sentiment, providing a certain sense of catharsis. However, how accurately do these arguments truly grasp Japan's current international position and the reality of its national power?
Rather, they seem to vividly reflect the lingering illusion of “Japan as a Great Power” that Japan has yet to shake off. Moreover, they reveal a complex psychological conflict: an inability to fully accept (or acknowledge) China's military and economic rise.

Good commentary by Jeffrey Hall:
https://x.com/mrjeffu/status/2010196573708529954

He writes: "Japan is not a country capable of conducting great-power diplomacy on a par with the United States and China" and that Japanese domestic media often frames Japan as an equal to those two far more powerful states, creating public misperception about Japan's actual economic and military strength.
Instead of seeing itself as a great power, Japan should embrace reality and act as a "mature middle power." That doesn't mean it should abandon its defense build-up or become a satellite of China. It means a foreign policy based on a realistic assessment of Japan's power, and not escalating anti-China "swagger that plays well domestically."