Japan’s Emerging Security Strategy

In December 2022, Japan defined its security policy for the coming decade by releasing three documents: a National Security Strategy, a National Defense Strategy, and a Defense Buildup Program. This long-anticipated set of documents have proven to be transformational by bringing about significant and positive changes in the US-Japan alliance. The past decade has been a critical—and evolutionary—juncture in Tokyo’s security policy. The series of security reforms implemented throughout the decade have paved the way to facilitate a more integrated military alliance with the United States by bolstering Tokyo’s decision-making apparatus and untangling some of the peculiar legal constraints on the use of force in Japan. The newly unveiled documents further accelerate these trends by illustrating ways to explore closer strategic and institutional integration between the two allies. Japan’s expanding investment innational defense—in terms of bothbudget andnewmilitary capabilities—have attracted attention. Yet, material upgrades alone do not produce effective military power. The question that deserves our attention is whether and how these security reforms contribute to enhancing Japan’s overall military effectiveness, especially through its alliance with the United States.