Japan Accelerates "Re-Militarization": Academia Warns of the Rise of the Military-Industrial Complex

Since May, Japan has been frequently active regarding arms exports: Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi visited Australia, prioritizing cooperation in weapons and technology as a key direction for bilateral security cooperation; Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi visited the Philippines to discuss the export of Japan's second-hand frigates. Recent data released by the Japanese government shows that, influenced by Japan's strengthened defense capability policy, the order amount for the Ministry of Defense has tripled over the past five years, accounting for half of the government's public demand orders for the fiscal year 2025.

The Japanese government is continuously "loosening restrictions" on the military-industrial sector through various means. It can be said that Japan's military-industrial complex has been reactivated and is rapidly rising, becoming another significant trend in Japan's acceleration of "remilitarization." This has raised ongoing concerns and vigilance among scholars within Japan.

On April 21 of this year, the Japanese government completed the revision of the "Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment" and its application guidelines through a cabinet decision, which in principle will allow the export of lethal weapons. In response, Sun Zhiqiang, director of the Japan East Asia Community Institute, pointed out at the time that Japan's long-held principle of peace is undergoing a significant transformation. Sun Zhiqiang also expressed his concerns about the role of Japan's military-industrial sector in this change.

Sun Zhiqiang, Director of the East Asia Community Institute: Japan's national positioning has always been not to engage in war and to promote peace. According to this principle, members of the Japan Self-Defense Forces do not participate in overseas combat and do not provide weapons to areas where fighting occurs. The government's decision to export missiles, ammunition, and other materials used on the battlefield signifies a major change in Japan's peace strategy. Once Japan can export weapons, the domestic military-industrial sector will develop, and related forces will gradually gain political voice. Therefore, there may emerge political forces that combine with economic interests to obstruct the peace route, which is very dangerous.

In fact, some Japanese scholars have consistently held a skeptical and vigilant attitude towards the Japanese government's continuous increase in defense budgets, the purchase of various equipment, and the ongoing profits of Japan's military-industrial sector in this process.

Hiroshi Hori, Emeritus Professor at the University of Tokyo: Japan clearly has a pacifist constitution that stipulates Japan does not engage in war and does not possess military forces. But why has the Japanese government increased defense spending to such an extent while the education budget has not increased? Isn't that strange? Japan's defense budget is indeed astonishing, and Japan has purchased a variety of equipment. Where exactly will these missiles be deployed, and what are they intended to target?

Akiyoshi Yoshimura, former UNESCO staff member: I believe there are military-industrial forces behind the Japanese political scene that are fanning the flames, the so-called "behind-the-scenes society," which is an interest group attempting to profit from war. If the status quo is not changed, this situation will continue. I hope that money is not invested in the arms business but rather in other fields, and that war is avoided at all costs.