For a long time, Japan’s defense and security policy was restricted by its post-war constitution. Just as in Europe, Japan was also hoping that China and Russia would develop into more liberal societies, rather than constitute a threat to the world’s democracies.
During the past decade, those hopes were proven wrong. With Russia launching a full scale war and China becoming more assertive, the need for Japan to meet this development by altering its own policies became increasingly obvious.
Our report, written by the Swedish journalist Jojje Olson, is based on interviews in Tokyo with over a dozen officials, analysts, academics and retired JSDF officers. It gives a background to the existing defense and security policies, and the changes they have undergone since Abe Shinzo’s published Japan’s first national security policy.
The report also explains how more substantial changes are now possible, due to a shift in public opinion and growing electoral support for Japan’s current government. We explore changes in defense capabilities, military exercises and a potential revision of the constitution.
As the share of GDP going to the military is expected to increase, we also look at how those resources will be spent, including the defense industrial base. This is an important area of potential cooperation with Europe, especially given Japan’s new conditions for arms exports.
Cooperation between Japan and the world’s democracies is an important topic of our report. The challenges of Japan and Europe are intertwined and best countered by joint efforts, especially in times when security guarantees from the White House can no longer be taken for granted.
With this report we hope to contribute to a new understanding of Japan as a more proactive geopolitical actor, and an important partner in a critical region to defend freedom and democracy in a time of global uncertainty.
Read the report in Swedish here.