Japan Steps Up

How Asia's Rising Threats Convinced Tokyo to Abandon Its Defense Taboos

On December 16, Japan took a major step toward becoming a "normal" world power by approving dramatic changes to its decades-old policy of military restraint. Under its new national security strategy, Japan will not only double its military spending, adding some $315 billion to its defense budget over the next five years. It will also develop a new "counterstrike" capability enabling it to conduct retaliatory attacks on enemy territory—a remarkable departure from its previous policy.

Read Prof. Lind's full article HERE in Foreign Affairs.