A new course for Japan's security policy: The historic decision on military armament

Alexandra Sakaki

No 13/2023, SWP Comments from Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP), German Institute for International and Security Affairs

Abstract: In recent weeks, Japan's government under Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has im­plemented significant adjustments to the country's security policy. In December 2022, Tokyo published a new National Security Strategy along with two other defence-related strategic documents. In doing so, the government decided, among other things, to significantly increase Japan's defence budget to 2 per cent of its gross domestic product by fiscal year 2027. During bilateral alliance meetings in mid-January 2023, Japan and the United States addressed the implications of the new strategic documents and discussed possibilities for closer cooperation. By making far-reaching decisions such as on the acquisition of so-called counter-strike capabilities, Tokyo is seeking to respond to a rapidly deteriorating security environment. Even though some of the announced steps are indeed historic for Japan, they have been the topic of discussion for a while now and can therefore be seen as part of the evolution of Japanese security policy that has been occurring for years.

Keywords: Japan; National Security Strategy; National Security Secretariat; Defense Buildup Program; Defence Buildup Program; Abe Shinzo; Nakasone Yasuhiro; Yamaguchi Natsuo; Fumio Kishida; Suga Yoshihide; Indo-Pacific; Kuril Islands; counter-strike capabilitiy; collective self-defence; Cyber Security (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:swpcom:132023

DOI: 10.18449/2023C13

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