WASHINGTON -- Last week in Tokyo, Japan's Council on Security and Defense Capabilities (better known in the United States as the Araki Commission) issued its final report on the future direction of Japanese national-security policy. The report demands special attention, as it will provide the basis on which the Japanese government revises its National Defense Program Outline over the next several months.
There is no doubt that the Araki Commission report paved the way for a spirited discussion regarding the future direction of Japan's security policy. The report is important for a host of reasons.
For one, it is the first report to clearly articulate the goal of Japan's national-security policy. The report submits that Japan has two major goals in its national-security policy: The defense of Japan and prevention of threats in the international security environment.