Country Report: Japan; Defense Planning in Transition

Abstract

Since the 2000s, Japan has worked to strengthen and sharpen its defense strategy and readiness to better deal with the increasingly challenging Indo-Pacific security environment. The developments to date have allowed the Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF) to become a more effective and proactive force, but the threats posed by China, North Korea, and Russia have also increased dramatically in recent years, calling for new measures expected to be unveiled in Japan's new National Security Strategy (NSS) and National Defense Program Guidelines (NDPG) in late 2022.