Japan Must Adapt to Defend Itself From North Korea – War on the Rocks

In his 2023 article “Japan’s Strategy to Confront North Korea’s Nuclear and Ballistic Missiles,” Tokuhiro Ikeda asserted that Japan needed to change course on their North Korean defense strategy to adequately defend the island. Two years later, we asked him to revisit his analysis in light of North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic arsenals becoming increasingly sophisticated.Image: Japan Maritime Self-Defense ForceIn your 2023 article, “Japan’s Strategy to Confront North Korea’s Nuclear and Ballistic Missiles,” you discussed how Japan must adapt to North Korea’s increasingly capable fleet of missiles. Two years later, North Korea has developed a more sophisticated nuclear arsenal — what has