TOKYO — Japan’s Cabinet on Tuesday approved ending its long-standing prohibition on exports of lethal weapons, a major shift in the country’s postwar defense posture aimed at expanding its arms industry and deepening cooperation with defense partners. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government adopted new guidelines that clear the way for broader arms sales, including future transfers of next-generation fighter jets and combat drones.
The policy change comes as Tokyo accelerates a military buildup in response to growing regional security challenges. It has been welcomed by allies such as Australia and drawn interest from countries across Southeast Asia and Europe, while drawing criticism from China and opposition from domestic critics who say it may clash with Japan’s pacifist constitution and raise international tensions.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said the rules are meant to “ensure safety for Japan and further contribute to peace and stability in the region and the international society as the security environment around our country rapidly changes.” He added the government will promote strategic transfers of defense equipment to create a security environment favorable to Japan and to build an industrial base that enhances resilience in conflict.
What changes
For decades after World War II, Japan restricted arms exports under its pacifist framework. Reforms over the past decade gradually loosened those constraints: nonlethal military supplies were permitted starting in 2014, and revisions in December 2023 allowed sales of certain lethal items and components produced under foreign licenses back to the original licensors. Until now exports were effectively limited to five categories — rescue, transport, alert, surveillance and minesweeping.
The new guidelines remove those categorical limits and permit exports of major platforms and weapons, including fighter jets, missiles and destroyers, beyond the limited items Japan has previously sent abroad (such as flak jackets, gas masks, civilian vehicles to Ukraine, or radar systems to the Philippines). Exports will initially be restricted to 17 countries that have signed defense equipment and technology transfer agreements with Japan; transfers also require approval by the National Security Council and will be subject to post-transfer management. In principle, Japan says it will not export lethal weapons to nations engaged in active war.
Background and recent moves
The 2023 revisions were partly intended to enable Japan to supply U.S.-designed Patriot missiles to the United States and to participate in joint development of a sixth-generation fighter with Britain and Italy. Last week Japan finalized its largest-ever defense contract: a $6.5 billion deal to deliver three Japanese-designed frigates to Australia, with plans to jointly build eight more there.
Industry and strategy
Historically, restrictions and reliance on U.S. bases and imported American systems left Japan’s defense industry relatively small and focused on Self-Defense Force needs. The Takaichi administration is pushing to change that as it boosts military spending and promotes the defense sector as one of 17 strategic growth areas. The government is increasing support for startups and academic research, emphasizing dual-use technologies and drone networks for surveillance and combat operations to help defend remote southwestern islands.
Dozens of contractors that once withdrew from defense markets are seeing renewed opportunities. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which began deploying long-range missiles from southern Japan in March and is scaling up production, expects rising defense contracts and plans significant hiring in missile and shipbuilding. Japan has also taken on more combat roles in multinational exercises, including a joint drill with the U.S. and the Philippines that involved firing a T88 missile.
International response and prospects
Australia praised the policy change as a step toward a seamless defense industrial base, with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles saying the relaxation will deepen industrial ties after signing the frigate deal with Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. New Zealand has shown interest in the frigates, and the Philippines and Indonesia have expressed interest in Japanese equipment, Koizumi said.
A recent visit by about 30 NATO representatives to Japanese defense facilities, including a Mitsubishi Electric unit involved in the trilateral fighter project and satellite technology, signaled growing Western engagement. The move also comes amid heightened discussion about the reliability of U.S. alliance commitments under U.S. President Donald Trump, prompting some partners to seek closer defense industrial ties with Japan.
Opponents of the policy shift warn it could increase regional tensions and undermine Japan’s pacifist principles, while proponents argue that a stronger domestic defense industry and closer technology partnerships are necessary to deter threats and support regional stability. The new rules mark a significant recalibration of Tokyo’s postwar security policy and set the stage for deeper defense cooperation and a larger role for Japan’s defense industry on the global stage.