In the aftermath of World War II, Japan underwent one of the most sweeping political transformations in modern history. As the occupying power, the United States dismantled the Imperial Japanese Army, eliminated the country’s extensive intelligence and domestic surveillance apparatus, and imposed a new constitution that renounced the right to wage war. Militarist education was replaced with democratic instruction, and the country’s political institutions were rebuilt around principles of peace and civilian governance.
That constitutional framework, adopted in 1947, shaped Japan’s modern identity and helped deliver the longest stretch of peace in the country’s contemporary history. But nearly eight decades later, that settlement is facing its most significant challenge yet.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, propelled to power by a landslide electoral victory earlier this year, now holds the political leverage to pursue sweeping changes to Japan’s national security structure. According to reporting by Bloomberg, her government is considering measures that could transform Japan’s defense posture, including the creation of a foreign intelligence agency modeled on the CIA, the introduction of anti-espionage legislation, and a major expansion of military spending.
At the center of this effort lies an even more consequential objective: revising Japan’s pacifist constitution. For decades, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has sought to amend the charter to formally recognize the country’s right to maintain a military and defend its national interests. Previous attempts stalled amid political resistance and public caution. But shifting security realities and growing public concern about regional threats have created new momentum behind the proposal.
Takaichi’s rise comes at a moment of profound uncertainty in global politics. China’s military expansion, North Korea’s missile program, and doubts about the reliability of international alliances have all heightened anxieties across Asia. The ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran has further complicated the geopolitical picture, potentially drawing American military resources away from East Asia.
For Takaichi, the situation strengthens her argument that Japan must be able to defend itself more assertively. Tobias Harris, founder of the political risk consultancy Japan Foresight, noted that global instability allows the prime minister to emphasize national resilience and strategic autonomy in the face of rising threats.
Her strategy will be tested when she meets US President Donald Trump in Washington on March 19. The meeting is expected to focus heavily on security cooperation and regional stability. Washington has long encouraged Japan to take on a greater military role, particularly as the United States seeks to counter China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
The United States maintains about 53,000 troops stationed in Japan, a legacy of the bilateral security treaty signed in 1951 that allowed American forces to remain after the end of the occupation. That alliance remains the cornerstone of Japan’s defense strategy, enabling the US to project military power across Asia while guaranteeing Japan’s protection.
Yet Takaichi’s push for a stronger military also carries diplomatic risks. Several of Japan’s neighbors remain deeply wary of any revival of Japanese militarism, given the country’s wartime history in Asia.
China has already responded sharply to some of Takaichi’s remarks. When she suggested last year that Japan’s armed forces could be deployed in response to a potential invasion of Taiwan, Beijing warned of a return to Japanese militarism and introduced restrictions on exports of materials that could be used in weapons manufacturing.
Relations with South Korea present another delicate challenge. Although Tokyo and Seoul have worked to strengthen security cooperation in recent years, memories of Japan’s colonization of the Korean Peninsula between 1910 and 1945 remain politically sensitive. Takaichi’s nationalist credentials, including her past visits to Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine honoring Japan’s war dead—including convicted war criminals—have sometimes drawn criticism abroad.
Within Japan itself, however, public attitudes toward security policy are evolving. Younger generations, in particular, appear less attached to the strict pacifism that shaped earlier decades of postwar politics. Opinion surveys indicate that many citizens under the age of 50 are increasingly open to revising constitutional restrictions if doing so strengthens the country’s ability to protect its sovereignty.
The constitutional provision at the center of debate is Article 9, which formally renounces war and prohibits Japan from maintaining armed forces capable of waging it. In practice, the country created the Self-Defense Forces in the 1950s, but their legal status has remained ambiguous. Takaichi and other conservatives argue that clarifying the military’s constitutional legitimacy is essential for national security.
Japan’s defense posture has already undergone significant change in recent years. The government embarked on a major military expansion following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and China’s launch of missiles near Japanese islands during tensions over Taiwan. Plans were announced to develop “counterstrike” capabilities, including missiles that could target adversaries if Japan were attacked.
Military spending has also surged. For decades Japan informally capped defense spending at about 1 percent of its economic output. That limit is now being abandoned, with expenditures on track to reach 2 percent of gross domestic product. Takaichi has already pushed spending to that level ahead of schedule while exploring further modernization initiatives, including the possibility of nuclear-powered submarines.
Another priority for the government is strengthening Japan’s domestic defense industry. New legislation expected later this year would ease restrictions on arms exports, allowing Japanese companies to expand their role in the global defense technology market.
Takaichi’s national security agenda extends beyond military hardware. As a former cabinet minister responsible for economic security, she has long emphasized the need to safeguard supply chains, protect critical infrastructure, and invest in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. Her proposed National Intelligence Bureau, expected to launch as early as July, would aim to improve coordination among government agencies and counter foreign espionage.
Despite her political dominance, the prime minister faces significant hurdles. Expanding the defense budget will test Japan’s already strained public finances and could alarm investors if government borrowing rises sharply. At the same time, voters remain concerned about inflation and economic pressures at home.
Balancing those domestic priorities with an ambitious national security agenda will be a defining challenge for Takaichi’s administration. The fate of her constitutional reform plan will ultimately depend not only on parliamentary approval but also on a national referendum, where public opinion remains divided.
Still, her electoral mandate provides an opportunity few Japanese leaders have possessed. Bloomberg noted that Takaichi’s victory delivered one of the largest mandates in the country’s political history, placing her in a unique position to pursue structural change.
The first female prime minister in Japan’s history has framed her mission in sweeping terms. She argues that preserving the peace Japan has enjoyed since World War II may require transformations almost as profound as those imposed after the country’s defeat.
