For over 80 years, Japan kept its weapons at home. That policy ended on April 21, 2026. In the most significant overhaul of Japan arms export rules since World War II, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s cabinet scrapped the ban on selling lethal weapons overseas — opening the door to exports of fighter jets, warships, missiles, and combat drones. The decision marks a fundamental shift in Japan arms export principles that shaped the country’s identity as a pacifist nation — and signals how rapidly Tokyo’s security calculus has changed. What Changed…
Read MoreJapan Loosens Arms Export Rules in Break From Post-WW2 Pacifism
