Japan’s government approved new guidelines that scrap a longstanding ban on lethal weapons exports, a step it described as part of a broader effort to strengthen defense capabilities and expand the domestic arms industry. The change clears final hurdles for arms sales under the new framework, including exports of Japanese-developed warships and combat drones, as Japan seeks to build up its defense equipment transfer capacity amid concerns over Chinese and North Korean aggression.
The cabinet approved by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday also reflected the administration’s push to expand Japan’s defense industrial base, which officials said had long been limited and heavily constrained.
The change received support and interest from partners abroad and from Japanese allies, while also drawing criticism from both China and opponents inside Japan. U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass, posting on X, called the move a “historic step” and said it would enhance defense capabilities between the allies. Australia welcomed the policy change, while Japan’s defense partners and other countries expressed interest in potential acquisitions of Japanese-made equipment.
China criticized the shift. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the global community, including China, would “resolutely resist Japan’s reckless moves toward a new type of militarism.” The remarks reflected a sharper warning that Beijing sees the policy change as part of a wider move away from postwar constraints.
Domestically, Japanese officials said the guidelines were meant to respond to a rapidly changing security environment. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters that 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.” He added that the government would “strategically promote defense equipment transfers to create a security environment that is desirable for Japan and to build up the industrial base that can support fighting resilience.”
Japan’s export posture had long been shaped by the country’s post-World War II pacifist constitution, with lethal arms exports restricted. Under earlier rules, Japan prohibited most arms exports while allowing exports in five areas—rescue, transport, alerts, surveillance and minesweeping—but the new guidelines remove those limits. The guidelines also expand what Japan can sell abroad beyond items such as flak jackets, gas masks, and civilian-use vehicles exported to Ukraine, and beyond other categories such as intelligence radars sold to the Philippines.
For now, Japan said lethal exports would be limited to 17 countries that have signed defense equipment and technology transfer agreements with Japan. The government said those sales also require approval by Japan’s National Security Council, and it will monitor how the weapons are managed after they are transferred. Japan said it remains committed to strict screening and export controls to third countries and would not offer lethal weapons to countries at war, though officials said exceptions could be made.
The guidelines build on changes Japan has already made in recent years to expand its defense equipment transfer options. Japan began exporting some non-lethal military supplies in 2014, and in December 2023 it approved a revision that would allow the sale of dozens of lethal weapons and components Japan manufactures under licenses from other countries back to the original licensors. That revision, the report said, cleared the way for Japan to sell U.S.-designed Patriot missiles to the United States, in part to make up for munitions Washington sent to Ukraine.
Japan’s security and industrial plans are also linked to large procurement and co-development programs. The December 2023 revision also helped pave the way for Japan’s joint development and sales effort for a sixth-generation fighter jet with Britain and Italy, and for Japan’s biggest arms deal ever—formalized last week with Australia. That agreement includes Japan delivering the first three of a $6.5 billion fleet of Japanese-designed frigates for the Australian navy and jointly building eight others in Australia.
Japan’s government has presented the export guideline shift as part of a broader arms industry buildup, saying it expects stronger cooperation with partners and regional deterrence. In a post on X, Takaichi said, “No country today can defend peace and safety by itself and needs partners to support each other,” while also adding, “There is no change to our 80-year history as a pacifist nation and its pledge,” alongside promises of “strict standards” in promoting arms exports. The government also said the defense industry is among 17 strategic growth areas targeted under the administration, with interest focused on areas such as dual-use goods and drones, alongside increased funding for startups and academic research.
Australia signed an agreement with Japan on Saturday regarding the delivery of three upgraded Mogami-class frigates from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the joint production of eight others, and welcomed the new policy as strengthening their defense partnership. New Zealand has also shown interest in the frigates, while other countries including the Philippines have expressed interest as well, according to Japanese officials—such as in buying used destroyers. The report also noted that last week a group of 30 NATO representatives visited Japan to discuss deepening ties, including a visit to Mitsubishi Electric’s subsidiary that is part of the trilateral fighter jet project and is known for satellite technology.