It looks like an aircraft carrier, it sounds like an aircraft carrier... but the Japanese are adamant their biggest ship since WW2 is a 'flat-topped destroyer'

Japan launches 250m destroyer Izumo which it says will be used for defence

Critics claim the large flat-topped ship can function as aircraft carrier

Country is banned from warfare thanks to post-WW2 pacifist constitution

But prime minister is keen to strike a more aggressive stance against China



Japan has been accused of ignoring its policy of self-defence after launching its largest warship since the end of the Second World War as the government faces down China over a disputed chain of islands.



The new ship is designed to carry up to 14 helicopters at once - but Japanese officials insist it is not an aircraft carrier and will not be used to launch military jets.



The 250m vessel, named 'Izumo', is officially labelled a destroyer, although it has a flat top which functions as a flight deck like that on an aircraft carrier.

The country is officially banned from all military actions apart from self-defence and humanitarian aid under the terms of the constitution imposed on it by the U.S. after the Second World War.

New ship: The destroyer Izumo is Japan's largest boat since the end of World War II

Flat-topped: But officials insist the ship is not an aircraft carrier and will not be used to launch planes

Its 'Peace Constitution' , which was designed by Allied leaders, followed Japan's involvement in the Second World War which included the devastating attack on US naval base Pearl Harbour in 1941.



This eventually led to the U.S. dropping a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima in 1945, which brought about Japan's surrender and the end of the war in 1945.



Officials say the new ship will be used to defend Japan and deliver personnel and supplies to areas hit by natural disasters, such as the devastating 2011 earthquake.

Japan's conservative prime minister Shinzo Abe is keen to change the constitution to allow the country to maintain a standing army for the first time in seven decades.

The unveiling of the new destroyer - which has been under development since 2009 - also coincides with a dispute between Japan and China over a chain of tiny islands in the South China Sea.

The two countries conduct regular patrols of the waters around the islands, which are called the Senkakus in Japan and the Diaoyus in China.

Celebration: The ship was launched today with a large ceremony in the port of Yokohama

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China reacted with alarm to the news of Izumo's launch and accused the Japanese government of aggressive intent towards other countries.



'We express our concern at Japan's constant expansion of its military equipment,' a spokesman for China's defence ministry told AFP. 'This trend is worthy of high vigilance by Japan's Asian neighbours and the international community.



'Japan should learn from history, adhere to its policy of self-defence and abide by its promise of taking the road of peaceful development.'

PEARL HARBOR AND HIROSHIMA ATTACKS LED TO 'PEACE CONSTITUTION'

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 World War II and was intended to replace Japan's previous militaristic and absolute monarchy system with liberal democracy. Japan was responsible for drawing the U.S. into World War II after it launched a surprise attack on the U.S naval base Pearl Harbor in 1941. Grim: This shows the devastation caused by a U.S. nuclear bomb being dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 The attack was intended as a preventive action to keep the U.S. 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 U.S dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. On fire: This shows a U.S. warship burning after the surprise Japanese attack on U.S base Pearl Harbour in 1941 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.



Tokyo's ties with Beijing chilled sharply last year after the Japanese government bought the rocky islands - known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China - in the East China Sea.

The islands are controlled by Japan but also claimed by China.

The United States says the islets fall under a U.S.-Japan security pact, but Washington is keen to avoid a clash in the economically vital region.

Many people in Japan have called for beefed-up naval and air forces to enable the country to enforce its territorial claims against China, which recently began operating an aircraft carrier purchased from Russia and is planning to build another. Popular: A conflict with China over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands has led to more aggressive sentiments

Streamers: The boat will supposedly be used for Japan's self-defence and humanitarian missions

Japan has one of the best equipped and trained navies in the Pacific, despite the constitutional restrictions on its deployment.

The new destroyer could potentially be used launch fighter jets, or other aircraft which can take off vertically, although officials insist they have no plans to do so.

The Izumo does not have a catapult for launching fighters, or a 'ski-jump' ramp for fixed-wing aircraft.



It bears the same name as an armoured cruiser which was in operation between 1900 and 1945.

Danger? China has warned Japan against building up its military capabilities in the South China Sea

The association with a vessel from the most aggressive period of Japan's imperial past could strengthen the impression that it is designed as a move towards militarisation.

