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Japan opens door to global arms market with biggest export rule change in decades
The overhaul removes five export categories and lets ministers assess sales case by case, as Japan seeks a stronger defense industrial base.
- On Tuesday, April 21, 2026, the Cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi endorsed scrapping a ban on lethal weapons exports, removing five categories that previously limited military sales to non-lethal equipment.
- Tokyo aims to strengthen its defense industrial base by boosting production volumes and lowering per-unit costs while deterring threats from China near East China Sea islands.
- Contractors like Mitsubishi Heavy Industries can now build advanced systems for foreign markets, with nations including Poland and the Philippines exploring procurement opportunities and Japan developing a next-generation fighter with Britain and Italy.
- Global conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East are straining weapons production, expanding opportunities for Japan as allies seek to diversify supply amid uncertainty under President Donald Trump.
- Critics argue the change violates Japan's pacifist constitution, though the government will maintain three export principles requiring strict screening while Ministers assess the merits of each proposed sale individually.
24 Articles
24 Articles
For the first time since World War II, Japan has been allowed to sell "lethal weapons" abroad, which is intended to strengthen, among other things, the domestic armaments industry.
Japan on Tuesday unveiled its biggest overhaul of defence export rules in decades, scrapping restrictions on overseas arms sales and opening the way for exports of warships, missiles and other weapons.
Japan Lifts Ban on Lethal Weapons Exports, Shifting Postwar Policy
Japan Lifts Ban on Lethal Weapons Exports, Shifting Postwar Policy Japan's government has taken a major step by approving the lifting of its ban on lethal weapons exports, marking a significant deviation from its longstanding pacifist policy. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Cabinet has given the go-ahead to the new guideline, aiming to boost Japan's arms industry and strengthen ties with defense allies.The policy shift comes amid rising security…
Associated Press News
Japan approves scrapping a ban on lethal weapons exports in a change of its postwar pacifist policy
Japan has endorsed scrapping a ban on lethal weapons exports, a major change of its postwar pacifist policy as the country seeks to build up its arms industry and deepen cooperation with defense partners.
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