Japan’s Strategic Reorientation and The Erosion of Antimilitarism: Consequences for Asia-Pacific Security Architecture

Abstract

Japan has long maintained a defensive posture in the post-World War II security architecture of the Pacific region, as the United States has provided security guarantees, thus carrying the maximum burden of Japan’s security. But the changing geo-political landscape and the military modernization by China make Japan’s policymakers uncomfortable. The acquisition of long-range weapons by Japan can disturb the delicate balance of power in the Pacific region, thus igniting tensions. The complex interlinked relations between the states can transform this region into an arena of conflict, thus affecting the global supply chains. By employing a qualitative method, the analysis has been drawn exclusively from policy papers, scholarly literature and diplomatic statements. This paper tends to focus on the regional factors which can contribute towards the Japanese acquisition of offensive capabilities, domestic challenges which constraints the ability of the Japanese government to pursue the required military modernization according to the changing contemporary global world order. This paper also sheds light on the responses from the regional states as they also tend to secure their national interests in the wake of regional military modernization aimed at securing their sovereignty and territorial integrity.