Q:

How do you load or even autowire a .json file from the classpath using annotations in java? 

How do you load or even autowire a .json file from the classpath using spring annotations in java? 
//Something like this in my controller in STS:
@value("file:/resources/json/myJsonfile.json")
Resource jsonTemplateFile;

A:

Create an abstract class:
    public abstract class ResourceLoadingTest {

        @Rule public TestName testName = new TestName();

        protected String loadResource(String fileName) throws IOException {
            final URL resource = getClass().getResource(fileName);
            if (resource == null) {
                throw new IllegalArgumentException("No resource file named <" + fileName + "> could be loaded from the classpath."); 
            }

            return Resources.toString(resource, Charsets. UTF_8);
        }

        /**
         * Loads a JSON resource whose name is derived from the currently running
         * test.  The derived reosurce name is "[test-method-name].json". 
         * For example, if this method is called from a test method named
         * <code>testSomeBehavior</code>, then the resource name to be loaded will
         * be <code>testSomeBehavior.json</code>
         */
        protected String loadCurrentTestJSON() throws IOException {
            return loadResource(testName.getMethodName() + ".json");
        }

        /**
         * Loads a XML resource whose name is derived from the currently running
         * test.  The derived reosurce name is "[test-method-name].xml". 
         * For example, if this method is called from a test method named
         * <code>testSomeBehavior</code>, then the resource name to be loaded will
         * be <code>testSomeBehavior.xml</code>
         */
        protected String loadCurrentTestXML() throws IOException {
            return loadResource(testName.getMethodName() + ".xml");
        }
    }

Then in the subclass:
    public static void main(String[] args){
       loadSetupMessage("myJsonfile.json");
    }

    protected void loadSetupMessage(String fileName) throws IOException {
        String rawMessage = this.loadResource(fileName);
        System.out.println(String.format("loaded class %s", rawMessage);
    }

and place myJsonfile.json in the same package hierarchy.