In December, the Cabinet approved three key strategy documents that serve as the basis for Japan’s national security and defense policies for the next decade.
With the documents, the government decided to drastically strengthen its defense power within five years, increase defense spending to 2% of gross domestic product and acquire a long-range counterstrike capability, marking an unparalleled watershed in Japan’s postwar history.
It is not clear, however, what has actually been changed in Japan’s national strategy.