Japan's military expansion

Dialogue · Apr 22, 2026 · 26m

Japan has approved a sweeping legal overhaul, lifting a decades-old ban on exporting lethal weapons. The move comes as Tokyo accelerates its military buildup, with changes that many see as eroding the constraints of its postwar pacifist constitution and raising concerns about the regional security order in Asia. Meanwhile, 126 Japanese lawmakers have visited the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Class-A war criminals - another development that has drawn strong reactions from neighboring countries. What’s driving Japan’s rapid military shift? Why are its neighbors and other Asian nations…