The record
Written from the 1 report below. Nothing here is unsourced.
- Japan is steadily dismantling its post-war pacifist security framework, which for eight decades restricted military power, arms exports, and defence spending to around 1% of GDP under the Yoshida Doctrine and Article 9.
- Key shifts include the 2014-2015 reinterpretation of collective self-defence, a commitment to roughly double defence spending to 2% of GDP by 2027, and a record $58 billion defence budget approved in December 2025 under PM Sanae Takaichi.
- Japan is prioritising long-range counter-strike missiles, missile defence, cyber and space capabilities, and has resumed arms exports while debating nuclear weapons.
- The report frames this as a major strategic transformation with regional consequences, particularly for China, which views the changes as a reopening of painful historical memories of Japanese militarism.
What to watch next
- Whether Japan meets its 2027 target of doubling defence spending to 2% of GDP.
- Domestic controversy over Japan's counter-strike capability, which challenges its long-standing 'exclusively defence-oriented' policy.
- Beijing's response as Japan's military buildup continues.
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Named Japan · China · United States · North Korea · Russia · India · South Korea · Five Eyes · National Intelligence Council · National Security Council · Sanae Takaichi · Self-Defense Forces · Shigeru Yoshida
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