Japan has, for the first time since World War II, fired offensive missiles on foreign soil, a move that experts say has effectively gutted the country’s pacifist constitution and marks a critical escalation in its accelerating remilitarization, posing threats to regional stability.
During the “Balikatan” joint military drills with the United States and the Philippines on Wednesday, Japan launched Type 88 missiles overseas for the first time since the end of World War II. The exercise also marked Tokyo’s first participation as a full member rather than an observer, with hundreds of Japanese troops deployed.
Lian Degui, director of the Center for Japanese Studies at Shanghai International Studies University, said the overseas deployment of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces, alongside the use of offensive weapons, constitutes a major breakaway from the country’s exclusively defense-oriented policy.
“This completely shatters the military red lines framed by Japan’s postwar pacifist constitution and poses a major shock to regional peace,” Lian said.
Da Zhigang, a research fellow at the Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of Northeast Asian Studies, said Japan’s live-fire use of offensive missile systems in a combat-simulated environment signals a fundamental shift in its military posture.
“This signifies that Japan no longer intends to remain merely a logistical or supporting role militarily, but hopes to possess active offensive strike capabilities,” Da said. “This could disrupt the security balance in the Asia-Pacific and fuel a regional arms race.”
Analysts noted that beyond military implications, Japan’s use of domestically produced missiles also serves as a showcase for its military industry, aimed at attracting export orders and accelerating its military buildup.
Arms exports
Lian said arms exports are a key pillar of Japan’s remilitarization strategy. “Increasing weapons sales can bring economic benefits while promoting the growth of the military-industrial complex, thus strengthening the country’s overall military capabilities,” he said.
Zhang Yulai, a professor at the Japan Institute of Nankai University in Tianjin, echoed the view, saying Japan has long sought to revitalize its military-industrial complex through expanded arms exports.
“Since former prime minister Shinzo Abe’s second term, Japan has steadily chipped away at restrictions on weapons exports, trying to revive its military-industrial complex and profit from the business of war,” he said.
The drill is the latest in a series of moves that reflect Japan’s accelerating remilitarization. Last month, Tokyo revised the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology, along with related implementation guidelines, to allow overseas sales of weapons, including those with lethal capabilities.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has also reaffirmed her intention to revise the constitution, particularly Article 9, the clause widely regarded as the cornerstone of Japan’s postwar pacifist stance.
“Japan is systematically hollowing out its pacifist constitution through a series of legal revisions, breaking through the military constraints established under the postwar international order,” Da said. “This expansionist military tendency raises the risk of regional disputes and undermines peace and development in the Asia-Pacific.”
The pattern of exchange and cooperation built in Northeast Asia over recent decades may be replaced by challenges and friction, he said. “Many actions by the Japanese government have effectively opened Pandora’s box for the revival of militarism, which has aroused high vigilance from the international community.”
Commenting on Japan’s overseas missile launch, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian warned on Wednesday that right-wing forces in Japan are pushing for accelerated remilitarization.
“The serious lack of education on true history, the fundamentally wrong historical views, compounded by strategies for military rearmament and preparation for war, have led to the malevolent emergence of neomilitarism in Japan and put regional peace and stability under threat,” Lin said.
Da said Japan’s historical revisionism, coupled with its arms modernization efforts and overseas troop deployments, is eroding trust among people in the region and the world.
Xinhua contributed to this story.