Until recently, public meetings between Japanese defense contractors and uniformed foreign military delegations would have stirred controversy in Japan, yet this week's aerospace show in Tokyo saw plenty.
With the nation stepping back from decades of state-sponsored pacifism amid concern over China's growing power and a rising North Korean threat, Japanese defense companies are finally shedding their reluctance to sell arms abroad.
At the ShinMaywa Industries booth, Indonesian air force officials quizzed the company about its amphibious plane. In another corner of the Japan Aerospace 2016 show, Saudi Arabian military officers pored over military transport and patrol aircraft brochures handed out by Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
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