Iran war strengthens Japan’s push for rearmament

Japan’s three security documents — the National Security Strategy, which sets out long-term security policy; the National Defense Strategy, which defines defence objectives and how to achieve them; and the Defense Buildup Program, revised every five years — were last updated four years ago under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. China was identified as Japan’s “greatest strategic challenge”, and North Korea and Russia as “threats”. At the time, Kishida warned that “Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow”.