Japan is transitioning from its post-World War II “proactive pacifism,” which restricted it from exporting weapons for decades, to becoming a major regional arms supplier.
In a major shift to its national security policy, implemented without any public discourse, the cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, is lifting lethal arms export ban by revising the so-called three strategic documents—the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy and the Defense Buildup Program—that allowed the East Asian nation to maintain “exclusively defence-oriented” posture and forbade possessing military capabilities to strike the enemy bases in the region.
In a departure from its eight-decade pacifist foreign policy, the Japanese Prime Minister’s cabinet announced on X that Tokyo is amending the “Three Principles on Transfer of Defence Equipment and Technology” and its “Guidelines for Implementation.”
(Japan’s Maritime Defence Forces on a Mogami-class frigate. Credit: X)
Previously, the overseas transfer of military equipment had been limited to search and rescue, transportation, surveillance, mine countermeasures, and the so-called “five categories.” But in view of the evolving geopolitical scenarios, the amendment introduced will make the transfers of all defence equipment overseas possible.
“In an increasingly severe security environment, no single country can now protect its own peace and security alone, and partner countries that support each other in terms of defense equipment are necessary,” Japanese PM’s cabinet said. It added that the amendment is in line with the expectation of Japan’s ally countries with respect to the defense equipment that Japan developed under the concept of “exclusively defense-oriented policy.”
“Carrying out transfers of defence equipment will contribute to enhancing the defence capabilities of these countries and, ultimately, to preventing the outbreak of conflicts, thereby contributing to Japan’s security,” the Japanese PM’s cabinet said.
Weaponry Japan Will Export
Japan’s premier did not specify precisely what defence weaponry the country would now sell to partners abroad, but the Japanese newspapers report that it will encompass the fighter jets, warships, and missiles that Japan built in coordination with Australia.
The two countries deepened their dense partnership by signing a $7 billion deal in April that included supplying eleven upgraded Mogami-class multi-role stealth frigates to the Royal Australian Navy for the purpose of anti-submarine warfare and surface strike operations.
The Mogami-class frigates will be equipped with long-range Kongsberg Naval Strike Missiles and the Type-12 surface-to-ship missiles, enhancing long-range strike capabilities. Australia and Japan also signed the agreement to collaboratively develop Boeing’s MQ-28A Ghost Bat unmanned combat aircraft that will act as “loyal wingmen” to manned fighter jets.
The warship pact, most significant since 2014, that bolstered Japan’s maritime capabilities, was aimed at countering China’s power projection, its maritime assertiveness and expanding military footprint in the Indo-Pacific. It came at a time when a Japanese destroyer, JS Ikazuchi, transited through the Taiwan Strait in an act of “sustaining war with war” as dubbed by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Japan’s revision of the “Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology” is a dangerous move.
Japanese militarists committed horrendous crimes when they invaded China and Japan’s Asian neighbors during the last century. Special arrangements were thus put in… pic.twitter.com/tyMCan8wxM
— CHINA MFA Spokesperson 中国外交部发言人 (@MFA_China) April 21, 2026
Who Is Eligible To Buy?
With Japan scrapping its post-WWII restraints on arms supply, as many as 17 countries will be eligible to purchase the weapons. The list will significantly expand as and when the countries enter a defence pact with Tokyo, according to Japan’s Chunichi newspaper. “With this amendment, transfers of all defence equipment will in principle become possible,” Takaichi said in a statement. She added that the “recipients will be limited to countries that commit to use in accordance with the UN Charter.”
“In an increasingly severe security environment, no single country can now protect its own peace and security alone,” Takaichi said.
The arms export will be restricted to the countries involved in an active war. Some exemptions will be allowed under special circumstances, according to the Japanese newspaper Asahi.
What are Japan’s ‘Three Principles of Arms Exports’?
Japan’s ‘Three Principles of Arms Exports’ were first applied in 1967 by the Cabinet of the then Prime Minister Eisaku Sato to restrict the arms exports to nations engaged in combat in response to the opposition’s objection to logistical support for the US military in the Vietnam War. It evolved into a total arms embargo in 1976 under the former administration of Prime Minister Takeo Miki, restricting the export of weapons and defence equipment to all countries of the world in line with Japan’s pacifist spirit.
In accordance with the 1983 modification to the policy, Japan and its staunch ally, the US, have carried out joint military research projects since 1999 known as the Navy Theatre Wide Defence (NTWD) programme to boost missile defence systems.
In the post-Cold War world, the US and the NATO bloc have emphasised international defence cooperation to enhance defence industrial capabilities. Even as the lethal weapons remained restricted for export in accordance with the three principles, in 2014, they were transformed by the then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, permitting the East Asian nation to export certain arms to other allied nations under certain conditions.
As the deregulation removed hurdles significantly, the recent decision marks a definitive departure from Japan’s 1945 constitutional commitment to remain non-violent. By lifting the “Three Principles” ban, Tokyo not only seeks to bolster its domestic defence industry but also opts for a more assertive role in global security as conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East reshape alliances.
