Japan turns to its own military

Japan turns to its own military

For decades, Japan has depended on the U.S. military for protection. Now, as regional threats mount and the war in Ukraine raises alarms, Japan is pushing to increase its own defenses.

The governing party has sought to drastically increase Japan’s defense budget and develop more military hardware domestically. The government is also trying to redefine what it can do with such weapons under the country’s pacifist Constitution, which has been in place since the end of World War II.

By asserting its own deterrent power, Japan — the world’s third-largest economy — could become less a military protectorate of the U.S. and more an equal partner. The effort is intended not to distance it from the protective umbrella, but to ensure that Tokyo’s bond with Washington remains strong.

In so doing, Japan could alter the balance of power in Asia and become a stronger counter to China — which it does not want to antagonize — and North Korea. Both have sent missiles uncomfortably close to Japan in recent months.

Background: Japan hosts the largest contingent of overseas U.S. troops and has bought more U.S.-made F-35 stealth fighter jets than any country other than the U.S.