Japanese post-war pacifism reached its pinnacle in 1976. That year, the Miki Takeo administration adopted two measures representing the tide of the moment: a 1 percent cap on the annual defense budget per GNP, and a de facto ban on arms exports that applied to both allies and enemies alike. For a long time, both … Read more
In recent years, Japan has faced increased threats from various directions: from Russia to the north, and from North Korea and China to the west. No wonder, as John Mearsheimer once put it, Japan’s defense posture needs to be more like Godzilla and less like Bambi. This quandary is not new. In fact, for decades, … Read more
Advertisement In December 2022, Japan announced a new National Security Strategy, including a significant increase of the defense budget and the acquisition of offensive weaponry. While the decision has been praised among the hawks of U.S. and transatlantic foreign policymaking, it is stirring up old ghosts of Japanese militarism in East Asia. At the same … Read more
In a ceremony held at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on May 24, 2023, State Minister of Defense Ino Toshiro handed to Ukraine’s ambassador to Japan the list of materials to be sent in the coming months. Credit: Takahashi Kosuke Advertisement The G-7 Hiroshima Summit saw the group of wealthy democracies renew a pledge to … Read more