Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force and the U.S. Marine Corps prepare for the exercise Forest Light in Japan on Dec. 5, 2020. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Marine Corps)(Kyodo)

TOKYO - Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force and the U.S. military on Monday invited the media to view a large-scale joint drill in southwestern Japan while launching another exercise northwest of Tokyo amid China's growing assertiveness in the East and South China seas.