Militarizing Japan calls for global vigilance: China Daily editorial

Japan is systematically unraveling its postwar "exclusive defense" framework under the pretext of "external threat", laying the institutional groundwork for the rise of neo-militarism. Its 2026 defense white paper explicitly classifies the military industry as an economic pillar and a growth driver. The last time the Japanese government made such a designation was during the lead-up to and throughout World War II.

Japan's Ministry of Defense plans to request a record-high budget of about 8.9 trillion yen ($56 billion) for fiscal 2027, a figure that could climb to 10 trillion yen once unspecified items are finalized, Japanese media reported on Friday. Although Japan's per capita military spending is already about three times that of China, it continues to grow at a fast pace.

The budget surge is matched by an aggressive escalation of weapons exports. The Sanae Takaichi government is supplying naval vessels to Australia and the Philippines, and Patriot air-defense interceptors back to the United States to replenish stockpiles. Each deal expands Japan's military-industrial complex and normalizes a role the postwar Constitution was designed to prevent.

These are preparations for conflict funded through deficit spending that burdens Japanese households grappling with inflation and stagnant wages. Public opposition to this shift has become increasingly visible.

The same concern applies to the country's nuclear policy. Japan continues to officially uphold its Three Non-Nuclear Principles, but growing government rhetoric on the need to discard them has inevitably raised concerns about the durability of one of the most important postwar restraints on Japan's military posture. The prospect of a nuclear-armed Japan is deeply alarming, given the devastating toll of its past militarism and the nation's failure to reckon honestly with its war crimes — a combination that renders it a serious menace to regional and international security.

A recent survey in Japan found that 76 percent of respondents support upholding the country's Three Non-Nuclear Principles while 77 percent believe Japan should not pursue "nuclear sharing", an arrangement under which the US would station nuclear weapons in Japan.

As Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said, the Takaichi government should listen to the call of the people, fulfill its obligations under international law of not accepting, producing, possessing or proliferating nuclear weapons, stop playing with fire on the issue of nuclear weapons and not repeat the wrong path of miscalculating the historical trend and acting against the people's will for peace.

Japan's decision to treat its neighbors as "threats" while actively deepening ties with NATO reflects a misguided "befriend the distant, confront the near" strategy. This approach is not only diplomatically reckless, it invites outside intervention into the region and ultimately risks backfiring, harming Japan's own interests and regional stability alike.

Presenting regional tensions as justification for Japan's military creates a self-reinforcing cycle: heightened "threat" perceptions justify a military buildup, while Japan's military buildup itself deepens insecurity among neighbors.

Japan's postwar commitment to peace was not merely a domestic policy choice. It was also part of the process through which the country tried to rebuild trust with its neighbors after the suffering caused by its wartime aggression. At the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony on Thursday, Takaichi openly delivered a ridiculous message: Japan will uphold its Three Non-Nuclear Principles before a review. Any neighbor that has experienced the devastation of Japanese militarism understands all too well what this awkward logic really means: Japan is methodically pressing forward with its nuclear weapons agenda.

Japan's historical militarists turned a deaf ear to all appeals for restraint. Today's neo-militarists appear intent on retracing that same disastrous course. The gears of history for Japan are already turning faster, driving the country once more toward the role of a potential source of conflict.