Japan scraps ban on lethal weapons exports in major shift of pacifist policy
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that "no single country can now protect its own peace and security alone."
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Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addresses a press conference at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on April 15 2026.
Philip Fong | Afp | Getty Images
The Japanese government has announced plans to lift a ban on lethal weapons exports, marking the latest shift away from the country's post-war pacifist policy.
In a statement on social media on Tuesday, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said "no single country can now protect its own peace and security alone," according to a Google translation.
She added that it was essential that partner countries support each other with defense equipment "in an increasingly severe security environment."
The policy change paves the way for the country to export warships, missiles, and other weapons.
Japan, which has been ramping up defense spending in recent years, is seeking to counter regional security threats and support partner countries during wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.
Japan and Australia recently signed a $7.15 billion deal for Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to build three warships for Australia's navy.
Opponents to the rule change have said that the policy shift could exacerbate global tensions, with protesters waving flags saying "No War" and voicing their support for the country's Article 9 provision during demonstrations in recent weeks.
A demonstrator holds a flag reading "No War" during the "No war! Don't change the Constitution!" rally outside the main gate of the National Diet Building, to call for the protection of Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan, in Tokyo on April 19, 2026.
Philip Fong | Afp | Getty Images
Japan renounced war under Article 9 of its post-World War II pacifist constitution. In 2014, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration reinterpreted Article 9 to allow Japan's Self-Defense Forces to more actively contribute to international peacekeeping efforts and defend allies.
"There is absolutely no change in our commitment to upholding the path and fundamental principles we have followed as a peace-loving nation for over 80 years since the war," Takaichi said Tuesday via X.
"Under the new system, we will strategically promote equipment transfers while making even more rigorous and cautious judgments on whether transfers are permissible," she added.
