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Japan The United States is aggressively boosting its military capabilities by doubling annual arms spending to counter the growing threat from China. The goal comes as Tokyo’s main ally, the United States, pushes for more military aid in Asia and as military hawks and ultra-conservatives take over Japan’s leadership.
Japan says it remains a peaceful country and the buildup is necessary to build a more self-reliant military that can better deter Japan. China. But Beijing and other critics believe Japan has betrayed its postwar peace commitments, noting that Japan’s prime minister Sanao, a freshman in high schoolShortly after taking office, he issued a statement saying that any military action by China against Taiwan could become grounds for Japan’s military response.
Japan’s decades-long transformation into one of the world’s leading defense spenders has raised the question of whether current military spending violates its pacifist constitution.
This is the result of careful observation.
Japan’s constitution has been hollowed out
After World War II, Japan was not supposed to have a military.
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According to Article 9 of the U.S. Constitution drafted in 1947, Japan renounces the use of force to resolve international disputes and the right to maintain land, sea and air forces for this purpose.
After the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, the United States changed its view of Japanese militarism. Japan became an ally, not a threat, and in 1954 established the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Article 9 is now widely seen as the legal basis for Japan to have sufficient troops to defend itself.
Since then, Japan has repeatedly expanded its definition of self-defense, allowing it to send troops overseas as part of international peacekeeping operations, but has mostly avoided combat missions.
In 2014, significant changes occurred under former Prime Minister Shinzo Abewho wants Japan to have a normal army. Abe’s new interpretation of Article 9 is to legalize collective defense. The following year, a security law allowed Japan to use force if the United States or other friendly countries were attacked by an enemy, even if Japan was not under attack.
This is Abe’s attempt to have a normal military without formally amending the constitution.
Takahiro gave a hypothetical example of such a scenario, which departed from the strategic ambiguity of the previous leader and angered China.
Tensions with China rise
The dispute with Beijing escalated in December after Chinese aircraft locked onto a radar on a Japanese aircraft during an aircraft carrier exercise near southwestern Japan, believing it might be preparing for a missile launch.
In June, two Chinese aircraft carriers were also spotted operating near Iwo Jima in southern Japan for the first time. This raises concerns Tokyo Beijing has rapidly expanded military activity beyond its borders and around islands claimed by both countries.
The high city cabinet approved a record defense budget plan last week. Next year’s budget will exceed 9 trillion yen ($58 billion) and is aimed at strengthening counterattack capabilities and coastal defense through cruise missiles and unmanned arsenals.
Later in the day, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian criticized the Gao city government in Beijing for accelerating the pace of military expansion, adding: “Japan is deviating from the path of peaceful development it has always advocated and going further and further in a dangerous direction.”
China, which spends huge sums on its own defense, may also view Takaichi as a defender of Japan’s wartime aggression. Before taking office, she was a regular visitor to Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan’s 2.5 million war dead, including convicted war criminals. Victims of Japanese aggression, particularly China and North Korea, believe that visiting the Yasukuni Shrine represents a lack of remorse for Japan’s wartime past.
Takaichi stayed away from the Yasukuni Shrine in 2025 and made a personal gesture by sending religious decorations commemorating the anniversary of Japan’s defeat on August 15 instead of praying at the shrine.
Japan assumes more offensive role
A fundamental change occurred in December 2022, when the government of former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida adopted a security strategy stating that Japan needs to acquire long-range missile counterattack capabilities, a major breakthrough from Japan’s purely self-defense policy.
The strategy lists China as Japan’s biggest strategic challenge and calls for Japan’s military to take a more offensive role under its security alliance with the United States as allies work more closely together.
Former Cabinet Legal Affairs Bureau chief Masahiro Sakata described the move as “the death of Title IX.”
After the war, Japan has long prioritized economic development over national defense and has relied heavily on the United States, with about 50,000 U.S. troops stationed in the region who are also serving in the region.
Japan kept the defense spending cap at 1% of GDP until the annual defense budget began to rise under Shinzo Abe’s nearly decade-long leadership, to around 1.1%. Takaichi is certain to hit the 2% target in March, two years ahead of schedule, and is expected to push for more spending in coming years as Japan faces growing pressure after Nato adopted a new 5% target.
Japan plans to boost defense industry development
Takaichi’s revised security and defense policy aims to further strengthen Japan’s unmanned combat weapons and long-range missiles. Remaining arms export restrictions are expected to be lifted to promote the development of Japan’s defense industry and cooperation with friendly countries.
Japan has long banned arms exports but has significantly eased restrictions in recent years and is developing next-generation fighter jets with Britain and Italy while finalizing a deal to sell frigates to Australia. Japan will also provide support for the construction and maintenance of U.S. warships.
A government-commissioned panel has recommended that Japan consider developing nuclear submarines for a longer-range deterrent capability, a controversial idea for a country that has long adhered to its non-nuclear principles.
Japan has asked Washington to ensure protection through expanded nuclear weapons deterrence. Some officials have recently voiced support for Japan to have nuclear weapons, drawing criticism from Japanese atomic bomb survivors and other pacifist groups.
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Japan adheres to the three non-nuclear principles of not owning, not producing and not allowing their existence, although he said Japan was considering all options for building new submarines.