Japan Is Rearming. Here's Why That Matters

Japan just delivered a historic supermajority to a nationalist prime minister determined to rewrite its pacifist legacy. From missiles to Taiwan, here’s why Japan’s dramatic rearmament reshapes Asia’s balance of power. Sources https://www.csis.org/analysis/japans-26-year-old-ruling-coalition-collapses https://www.ejiltalk.org/whos-the-self-in-collective-self-defence-under-international-law-about-japanese-pm-takaichis-comments-regarding-an-attack-on-taiwan/ https://english.news.cn/asiapacific/20251114/d27867642536454eaae58ccdad20c1b6/c.html https://www.newsweek.com/chinese-diplomat-threatens-behead-japans-pm-sanae-takaichi-11019624 https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2025/12/31/pacifist-japan-moving-from-exclusive-self-defense-to-military-buildup/ https://apnews.com/article/japan-military-buildup-defense-constitution-us-china-4986b7e36b9bb86355898c6d762084e7 https://www.tokyofoundation.org/research/detail.php?id=536 https://dissentmagazine.org/online_articles/why-tokyo-is-burning/ https://spfusa.org/publications/2022-a-year-of-major-political-advancement-in-japans-national-security/ https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/japans-cabinet-approves-record-defense-budget-aiming-to-deter-china-as-tensions-grow https://news.usni.org/2024/01/18/japan-signs-deal-for-400-tomahawk-land-attack-missiles https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2025/12/japan-completes-all-improved-type-12-anti-ship-missile-tests/ https://www.newsweek.com/china-condemns-japanese-missile-plan-extremely-dangerous-11097113 https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2025/11/25/2003847777 https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/11/12/japan/politics/takaichi-nonnuclear-principles/ https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2025/11/18/japan_edges_towards_hosting_nuclear_weapons_1148073.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1955_System https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cnvd784n1meo https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/prime-minister-ishibas-coalition-loses-majority-in-japans-upper-house-election https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japans-komeito-leave-ruling-coalition-with-ldp-under-takaichi-nhk-reports-2025-10-10/ https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/20/coalition-deal-set-to-make-takaichi-japans-first-female-pm https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/20/japans-core-inflation-hits-highest-level-since-jan-2023-putting-pressure-on-boj-to-raise-rates.html https://www.focus-economics.com/country-indicator/japan/inflation/ https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/19/japan-pm-takaichi-calls-feb-8-election.html https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/15/japan/politics/cdp-komeito-new-party/ https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/09/japan/politics/cra-cdp-lose/ https://english.kyodonews.net/articles/-/70209 https://www.ft.com/content/7f314584-4865-4237-ac06-67b013481460 https://theconversation.com/young-japanese-voters-embrace-right-wing-populist-parties-leaving-the-prime-minister-on-the-brink-261673 https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/09/japan-sanae-takaichi-election-economy/ https://english.kyodonews.net/articles/-/57769 https://www.cfr.org/articles/political-realignment-and-the-2026-japanese-election https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/31/asia/us-japan-trump-takaichi-analysis-intl-hnk https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/trump-endorses-japanese-pm-takaichi-ahead-sunday-election-2026-02-05/ https://youtu.be/HZ8CF_NFngk?t=49 https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/sanae-takaichi-japan-back-back https://thediplomat.com/2025/05/ldps-takaichi-proposes-a-quasi-alliance-while-in-taiwan/ https://www.newsweek.com/japan-births-lowest-records-began-11278603 https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202502/27/WS67c028f5a310c240449d7ab3.html https://www.newsweek.com/japan-says-population-crisis-is-biggest-problem-11078544 https://japan.kantei.go.jp/104/actions/202511/18jinkousenryakuhonbu.html https://www.aei.org/economics/all-is-not-well-on-the-japanese-bond-market-front/

Fronts Staff • February 12, 2026