Asia | A wake-up call

War in Ukraine has bolstered Japan’s support for a stronger army

A nation with a deep streak of pacifism confronts a dangerous world

GOTEMBA, JAPAN - MAY 28: Members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) disembark from a V-22 Osprey aircraft during a live fire exercise at East Fuji Maneuver Area on May 28, 2022 in Gotemba, Shizuoka, Japan. The annual live-fire drill takes place as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged to boost defense spending after a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden and other "Quad" leaders this week. (Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)
|Tokyo

Editor’s note: On December 16th 2022 Japan’s government approved long-awaited revisions to its national security strategy and key defence policies. It codified plans to raise defence spending to 2% of GDP by 2027 and to acquire long-range missiles that would allow it to strike targets in enemy territory.

This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Wake-up call”

Getting the job done: How Ukraine can win

From the September 17th 2022 edition

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