The big news from Tokyo is that the Japanese Diet on 21 April sharply eased its arms export rules, allowing in principle the overseas transfer of finished defence equipment, including lethal weapons. This change in policy is being widely seen in the region as a break from the country’s long-standing post-war restraints.

The decision revises the Three Principles on Transfer of Defence Equipment and Technology and their implementation guidelines. This would mean the government now accords a significant push to the arms industry, whose demand, scale, and sustained state backing shall now remain in focus. The change in the policy removed a framework that had limited exports to five non-combat categories, and now broadens the scope for overseas sales of complete systems, parts, and related technologies.

As a next step, the government of Sanae Takaichi is likely to create a new interagency framework involving senior officials from the defence and relevant ministries to strengthen its ability to promote weapon exports. Takaichi reasoned that no single country can protect its own peace and security alone, and partner countries that support each other defence equipment are necessary. In concrete terms, what would the new rules allow? With the new guidelines, Japan will scrap restrictions that had limited exports to five categories, including rescue, transport, warning, surveillance, and minesweeping. This means that exports of items classified as weapons under Japanese law, including warships and missiles, will in principle be allowed.

In further clarification, defence equipment will now be classified into weapons and non-weapons categories depending on whether they have lethal or destructive capability. Non-weapons such as air-surveillance radar will face no destination restrictions, while exports classified as weapons will be limited to countries that have signed defense equipment and technology transfer agreements with Japan. So far, Tokyo has signed such........

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