Japan's military might on display

(00:45) Rough Cut

Aug 27 - At the foot of Mount Fuji Japan's Self Defence Forces show off its fire power to the general public

From tanks to helicopters, the crowd of 20,000 people was treated to a cacophony of live ammunition explosions and bursts of gunfire.

The exercises come just days before Japan's general election scheduled on August 30.

Many Japanese who came to watch the drill said a fair amount of defence spending is essential, especially given North Korea's increasing arms production.

North Korea in May conducted its second nuclear test since 2006, and has launched several missiles over Japan and into the Pacific.