According to Japanese officials and sources in diplomatic circles, Japan is about to significantly relax its restrictions on weapon exports, sparking strong interest from around the world. From Poland to the Philippines, several countries are actively seeking to cooperate with Japan in military defense.
Reported by Reuters, as Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takai promotes the revitalization of the defense industry, her ruling party approved this defense policy reform this week. Three Japanese government officials told Reuters that Takai’s government is expected to officially adopt this new policy as early as this month.
Although Japan has largely stayed away from the global arms market since World War II, the country’s military spending this year amounts to 60 billion US dollars, enough to support a large-scale defense industry capable of manufacturing advanced systems such as submarines and fighter jets.
According to Japanese officials and foreign diplomats, potential new customers for Japanese weapon exports include the Polish military and the Philippine Navy, both of whom are modernizing their forces to address regional security challenges.
Senior executives from Japanese defense contractors Toshiba and Mitsubishi Electric revealed that in order to seize market opportunities, these two companies are actively recruiting personnel and expanding their production capacity.
As revealed by two Japanese officials, one of the first transactions that Takai’s government may approve is the export of a second-hand escort ship to the Philippines. Currently, Manila is engaged in a standoff with Beijing in the South China Sea.
Mariusz Boguszewski, Counsellor at the Polish Embassy in Japan, stated that Warsaw and Tokyo can assist each other in filling defense gaps and cooperate in areas such as anti-drone and electronic warfare systems.
“With Japan’s participation, we can overcome certain bottlenecks,” he said, without disclosing specific details of the transactions.
One of Europe’s largest private defense contractors, Poland’s WB Group, signed a preliminary agreement with Japanese aircraft manufacturer ShinMaywa last year for cooperation on unmanned aerial vehicles.
Three European diplomats also indicated that Japan’s relaxation of weapon export restrictions provides an opportunity to reduce their high dependence on US arms production. With the outbreak of the conflict in Iran, the pressure on US arms production is mounting.
Previously, Tokyo’s weapon export policy reform had received encouragement from successive US administrations (including the Trump administration), who hoped that allies would make more contributions to collective defense.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment on Japan’s new policy, but stated that under the leadership of Trump and Takai, the relationship between the two countries has become closer than ever before.
Over a decade ago, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe first relaxed Japan’s weapon export restrictions. Abe, Takai’s mentor, also encouraged joint weapon development with allies to counter military threats from China.
However, due to many restrictions, including on lethal weapons, that have not been fully lifted, progress on this initiative has largely stalled, and Japanese companies are still cautious about entering the overseas defense sales market on a large scale.
Following a landslide election victory and breaking free from long-standing opposition to policy change from coalition partners, Takai’s decision to relax weapon export restrictions aims to promote increased production capacity among Japanese defense manufacturers, thereby enhancing defense industry infrastructure.
Some Japanese defense companies have stated they are prepared for this transformation, but major Japanese companies involved in both defense equipment and consumer goods have expressed concerns, fearing that arms sales may deter their broader customer base.
Defense system manufacturer Toshiba has announced plans to hire approximately 500 people over the next three years, while simultaneously constructing new testing and manufacturing facilities.
Recruitment information from Mitsubishi Electric shows the company is hiring overseas sales personnel responsible for selling fighter jets and other defense exports.
A senior manager from Mitsubishi Electric’s defense division noted that the demand for integrated systems is strongest in Asia, while Europe, Australia, and the US provide markets for components and joint development of new products.
He anticipates that the department’s overall sales (both domestic and international) will increase by 50% by 2031, reaching 600 billion Japanese yen (3.8 billion US dollars).
However, Zigmars Zilgalvis, the Latvian Ambassador to Japan, pointed out that there remains a discrepancy between the political statements of certain Japanese companies and their actual policies.
Citing Toyota as an example, a subsidiary of the company refused to supply engines and related parts for military multipurpose vehicles to Latvian company VR Cars in 2023.
Responding to questions from Reuters, Toyota Customising & Development stated that due to “business scope and policy,” they were unable to meet the procurement needs for military vehicles. The company declined to comment on Japan’s forthcoming revision of its weapon export policy.