TOKYO — Japan’s Cabinet on Tuesday approved scrapping a long-standing ban on lethal weapons exports, marking a major shift in the country’s postwar pacifist stance as it seeks to expand its defense industry and deepen cooperation with partners.
The guideline change, endorsed by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Cabinet, clears remaining hurdles for Japan to sell weapons such as next-generation fighter jets and combat drones. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said the policy will “ensure safety for Japan and further contribute to the peace and stability in the region and the international society as the security environment around our country rapidly changes,” adding the government will “strategically promote defense equipment transfer to create a security environment that is desirable for Japan and to build up the industrial base that can support fighting resilience.”
Until now, Japan largely prohibited arms exports under its post-World War II constitution and limited defense-related transfers to five categories: rescue, transport, alert, surveillance and minesweeping. The new guideline removes those limits and permits exports of equipment including fighter jets, missiles and destroyers — a sharp expansion beyond items such as flak jackets, gas masks and civilian vehicles Tokyo has supplied to Ukraine and intelligence radar sold to the Philippines.
Exports will be restricted initially to 17 countries that have signed defense equipment and technology transfer agreements with Japan. Sales also must be approved by the National Security Council, and the government says it will monitor how transferred systems are managed. In principle, lethal weapons will still not be exported to countries engaged in war.
The policy shift follows earlier relaxations: Japan began exporting some nonlethal military supplies in 2014, and in December 2023 approved sales of dozens of lethal items and licensed components back to their original licensors — a change that enabled transfers such as U.S.-designed Patriot missiles and cleared the path for joint development of a sixth-generation fighter with Britain and Italy.
Last week Japan formalized its largest-ever defense sale, a $6.5 billion deal to deliver three Japanese-designed frigates to Australia and jointly build eight more there. Australia welcomed the policy change as important to developing an integrated defense industrial base. New Zealand has also expressed interest in Japanese frigates, and countries including the Philippines and Indonesia have shown interest in other Japanese defense equipment. A recent visit by some 30 NATO representatives to Mitsubishi Electric Corp. highlighted European interest as well.
The change is part of a broader strategy to grow Japan’s defense industry and reduce dependence on costly foreign arms and U.S. basing. Japan’s defense sector, long focused narrowly on the Self-Defense Forces, had been unprofitable and had seen many contractors exit. The Takaichi government has designated the defense industry as one of 17 strategic growth areas and is boosting funding for startups, academic research and dual-use technologies. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has begun mass production of long-range missiles and plans significant hiring in missile and shipbuilding divisions.
Tokyo has also accelerated military activity amid perceived threats from China, North Korea and Russia, participating in multinational drills and a trilateral exercise with the U.S. and the Philippines that included firing a T88 missile. Supporters argue expanded exports and a stronger domestic industry will enhance Japan’s deterrence and resilience.
Critics say the policy undermines Japan’s pacifist constitution, risks escalating regional tensions and endangers Japanese safety. China has criticized the move. The government, however, frames it as a measured step — limited to partner countries, subject to oversight, and aimed at reinforcing regional stability while building an industrial base capable of supporting Japan’s defense needs.
Photo caption: Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks to reporters at her office in Tokyo Monday, April 13, 2026, after holding telephone talks with her Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif. Keisuke Hosojima/AP/Kyodo News