For the first time since World War II, Japan has deployed Marines. The first post-World War II Marine Corps was officially launched on Saturday as part of a crackdown on resistance in China. The Marine Corps has been trained to repel Chinese aggression on islands in the East China Sea. The amphibious rapid deployment brigade ( ARDB) is named after the Japanese amphibian marine force. A ceremony was held Saturday at a military base on the island of Kyushu, southwest of Japan, near Sasebo, in the presence of about 1,500 members of the Japanese Marine Corps. Speaking on the occasion, Japan's Deputy Minister of Defense Tomohiro Yamamoto said that the environment around Japan is unfavorable in terms of self-defense and security. And so saving the islands from invasion is a big challenge. This new brigade of Marines is a symbol of Japan's growing naval capabilities. Helicopter carriers , amphibious vehicles and special aircraft capable of carrying army personnel have been added to the Japanese navy .