Japan's Defence Industry: From Periphery to Core National Power The Japanese government's white paper on defence, released in August, makes one thing clear: Tokyo is serious about transforming its domestic defence sector into a core national power.
With trillions of yen at stake, the plan is ambitious, driven by concerns over China, North Korea, and Russia.
For decades, Japan's defence industry has been treated as an economic afterthought, handicapped by strict post war arms export bans and limited procurement volumes.