Japanese leader Sanae Takaichi has called for discussions to revise the constitution, saying it should ‘reflect the demands of the times’
Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has called for “advanced discussions” on revising the pacifist constitution, as large demonstrations were held nationwide to oppose any changes to the country’s supreme law.
Speaking during an official visit to Vietnam, Takaichi said the constitution, which was written by US occupation forces after the second world war, “should periodically be updated to reflect the demands of the times”.
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© Photograph: Justin McCurry/The Guardian
© Photograph: Justin McCurry/The Guardian
© Photograph: Justin McCurry/The Guardian
TOKYO, May 4 — Long-pacifist Japan has shed its self-imposed ban on lethal weaponry exports, gunning for a prominent place in the global defence trade — a challenging feat that analysts say could take years to achieve.
Under Japan’s once-strict stance adopted following its World War II surrender and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it has generally restricted arms exports in recent times to non-lethal categories like rescue, transport and surveillance.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government scrapped these constraints last month, allowing firms to supply lethal weaponry to any of the 17 countries where Japan has defence cooperation agreements.
Prohibitions on sales to nations at war remain but can be circumvented under special circumstances.
Five Japanese firms, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, are already in the top 100 global defence companies, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
But they have largely lived off domestic demand from Japan’s military, often in cooperation with US defence firms.
Analysts say a focus on high-tech sectors could help the transition, but caution that it could take years for defence exports to become a big contributor to economic growth, hampered by capacity and workforce shortages.
Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Ian Ma said it was a “transition from a domestic, ministry-led procurement model to a normal practice which companies could drive business opportunities just like other global companies are doing.”
He added that as newcomers on the global market, Japanese firms should focus on “higher-tech niches” like naval and propulsion systems, advanced missiles, sensors and electronics.
No ‘immediate impact’
With conflicts raging around the world, the international defence market is huge and fast growing, soaring by 41 per cent between 2016 and 2025 to almost US$3 trillion (RM11.91 trillion), according to SIPRI.
While Japanese firms may only export to 17 countries, those include some of the world’s biggest defence spenders like the US, Germany, India and Britain.
Evolutions in technology and the way wars are fought — notably with drones — are also making the global arms market more diffuse, which could benefit Japan, according to analysts at the Stimson Center.
Along with a steep decline in Russian arms exports, Washington’s “increasingly unpredictable, extractive, and at times confrontational approach” has also pushed importers to seek alternatives to the US, the Stimson Center said in a research note.
“Though the trend remains nascent, for Japan, the wandering eyes of traditional US defence partners could add to the demand for the sorts of sophisticated capabilities Tokyo is well-prepared to offer.”
Even before the new changes, Japan has been no slouch.
Last year Mitsubishi Heavy Industries won a landmark order for 11 warships from the Australian navy.
Japan is also developing a new fighter jet with Britain and Italy, and countries in Southeast Asia are reportedly interested in acquiring used Japanese submarines and warships.
But Mitsubishi Electric, which supplied a radar system to the Philippines and may soon make air-to-air missiles with US partners, told AFP that the new rules would not have a “significant immediate impact on our business”.
Rival IHI said that the changes “will not lead to an immediate acceleration of our defence equipment business”, but “will have a significant impact on creating a market environment that accelerates international cooperation”.
Homework
Ma cautioned that Japan has “homework” to do, including on production capacity, skilled labour, second- and third-tier suppliers, certification, testing, maintenance support and the ability to “deliver on time”.
Beyond the economic stakes, deepening security ties is also a strategic necessity for Japan, said Heigo Sato, a professor at Takushoku University, in a region where China is flexing its muscles and home to nuclear-armed North Korea.
“When it comes to defence industry cooperation, Japan is by no means a country with the world’s most advanced weaponry; therefore, we must actively work to build relationships with other nations,” Sato told AFP.
The Japanese public is not at all comfortable with the new strategy, with 55 per cent of respondents in a recent Nikkei poll saying that they were opposed to the expansion of arms exports.
Days after Takaichi announced the new rules, dozens of protestors rallied in Tokyo.
In World War II, “Japan committed acts of aggression, and in turn suffered enormous damage from the atomic bombs,” demonstrator Yura Suzuike told AFP.
Japan’s pacifist constitution that followed had been drafted “with the resolve that we must never again wage war or kill people”, she said. — AFP
The Chinese embassy in Japan has accused Tokyo of failing to protect its diplomats after it received three threats within a month, as a spat between the Asian neighbours rumbles on.
In a tirade on X on Thursday, the embassy urged Tokyo to “severely punish the perpetrators”, detailing incidents including an intrusion and a bomb threat.
On March 24, a man described as a member of Japan’s Self-Defence Forces (SDF) broke into China’s Tokyo embassy and threatened to kill diplomats.
This was, it said, just a few weeks after an intimidating letter from a self-described “elite unit” of former SDF and police members had arrived, threatening to kill Chinese people.
A third incident at the end of last month involved an online bomb threat against the embassy by a person also claiming to be a former military officer.
“We once again strongly urge the Japanese side to expedite the investigation to clarify the facts of the case” and “severely punish the perpetrators in accordance with the law,” Charge d’Affaires Shi Yong was quoted by the embassy as saying.
That these individuals all profess to have SDF backgrounds is “highly unusual,” the diplomat added.
“Is there a systematic organisation behind this? Are they being instigated or directed by some force?” he said, demanding Japan “thoroughly investigate the ideological roots of the involved personnel.”
Ties between Japan and China have deteriorated since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested in November that Japan might intervene militarily in any Chinese attempt to take Taiwan.
China, which regards the democratic island as part of its territory and has not ruled out force to annex it, was furious over the comments.
It summoned Tokyo’s ambassador and warned Chinese citizens against visiting Japan, with tourism numbers plummeting since then.
Japan downgraded its assessment of China on Friday for the first time in a decade, marking a new blow to relations between the Asian superpowers.
Japan’s ties with Beijing have soured in recent months after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hinted in November that Tokyo could intervene militarily in any attack on self-ruled Taiwan.
China views the island as its territory and has not ruled out taking it by force.
The Japanese foreign ministry’s bluebook — which details Tokyo’s official views on diplomacy and the international climate — had described China as “one of Japan’s most important” partners since 2016.
But this year’s edition simply calls China “an important neighbour”.
The report accused Beijing of “strengthening its unilateral criticism of and intimidating measures against Japan.”
As the diplomatic spat deepened between the world’s second and fourth-largest economies, Beijing urged its citizens against travelling to Japan and tightened trade restrictions on some Japanese firms.
Chinese visitors to the archipelago plunged 45.2 percent in February from a year earlier, official data showed last month.
Beyond China, Japan’s diplomatic bluebook painted a bleak picture of the international landscape as a whole.
“It can be said that the comparatively peaceful era once known as the ‘post-Cold War period’ has already ended,” it said.
Two concerts by Japanese rock band ONE OK ROCK have been cancelled in Hong Kong due to “unforeseen circumstances.”
The cancellation comes as Japanese artists find their events axed across China amid diplomatic tensions, yet coincides with the local government’s push to sell Hong Kong as an events capital.
According to a post on the Instagram account of organisers Live Nation, the “decision was made because of reasons that were outside the control of the artist and the organizer.”
“Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, these issues could not be resolved, and the shows can no longer go ahead.”
Live Nation Hong Kong apologised and shared details of ticket refunds.
The shows were set to take place on May 2 and May 3 at Central Harbourfront Event Space.
The rock band’s Shanghai gig, originally scheduled for May 9, was also cancelled a month ago.
In November, around a dozen concerts involving Japanese musicians in major Chinese cities were axed within the space of a week, according to Reuters. Artists, including Ayumi Hamasaki, Maki Otsuki, and Hiromi Uehara, were impacted, with some events being halted abruptly during sound checks.
Ties between Tokyo and Beijing became frayed after new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in November that Japan could respond militarily if China attacked Taiwan.
The Republic of China (ROC) government has ruled Taiwan since 1945 after Japan was defeated in World War II, ending 50 years of occupation. The ROC authorities fully retreated to the island in 1949 after being defeated by the Chinese Communist Party in the Civil War. Beijing has since claimed democratic Taiwan as one of its provinces, threatening to unify it by force if necessary.
See also: Explainer – Is Taiwan a country? The self-ruled island’s disputed status
This year, around 40 per cent of flights between China and Japan were cancelled by Chinese carriers. Beijing has also restricted trade with Japan and boosted military operations as a result of the spat.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board’s website describes the city as “the ‘Events Capital of Asia’ and the ‘World’s Meeting Place’… home to some of the world’s greatest mega events and festivities throughout the year.”
HKFP has reached out to the band and Live Nation Hong Kong.
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