You guys should just go the extra half-mile and build full size ones. Lose the ski ramp.
The point about the Harrier and Amphibious assaults is completely true, however. No one really notices Japan as a military threat anymore, but a sudden purchase of say....30 harriers could make them a point of interest from our UAVs and satellites, and that they don't want. Personally, I don't think their weapons should be limited as they are, anyone who had a grudge against the US and could hold any power to take action against us is long dead by now. Same for Germany. Germany was just under teh power of an insane dictator who had plenty of health problems and mental dementia. The german people aren't warlike in nature (Trust me, my entire family is german, all the way down my dads side.) and have incredible military forces. The KSK, GSG9 (Well, I still don't know if they are allowed to handle things out-of-country) etc. Times change. Grudges are lost.
Anywho, back to discussion of planes. Lockheed and Dassault should sue, David. You caneven make out the panels on the body of the 16 in that pic.