Japan’s strategic shift: What Takaichi’s return means

In Focus by The Hindu · Feb 18, 2026 · 22m

Japan’s strategic posture is undergoing one of its most consequential transformations since the end of the Second World War. Long defined by its pacifist Constitution and its reliance on the United States for security guarantees, Japan built its global identity as an economic power that exercised influence largely through trade, technology and diplomacy. Over the past decade, however, shifting regional dynamics, particularly China’s rise and growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific, have prompted a reassessment in Tokyo about the country’s defence capabilities, alliance structures and strategic…