As Japan modernizes its national security policies and defense capabilities, most of the focus has, understandably, been on warfare.
Changes in the laws regarding the exercise of the right of collective self-defense give Japan more leeway to respond to an unforeseen event, and its ally, the United States, will rely on that new scope in such situations. The acquisition of missiles with which Japan can attack adversaries has led to a reconsideration of long-standing assumptions about the role the country will play in a crisis; Japan is no longer just a shield while Washington wields the “sword.”
I see signs of seriousness on defense reform elsewhere. The rubber comes into play when assessing much less glamorous, nitty-gritty military capabilities in key government documents. For example, bullets are not sexy, but you can’t fight without them.
