Itsunori Onodera, LDP security commission chairman, addresses reporters after an executive meeting in Tokyo. Photo courtesy of Jiji Press.
Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) prepared a proposal on Tuesday to lift restrictions on the export of lethal weapons, marking a major change in the country’s defense policy.
The draft calls for removing current rules that limit the transfer of defense equipment to specific categories, including rescue, transport, reconnaissance, surveillance, and minesweeping.
Party officials described the proposal as a significant shift and said the government should provide detailed explanations to the public regarding the policy change.
The LDP is expected to formally approve the proposal during a meeting of its Research Commission on Security on Wednesday.
Once approved, the draft will be submitted to the Japanese government in early March for consideration.
The current regulations strictly limit defense equipment exports to five non-combat categories, preventing the transfer of weapons intended for offensive use.
The proposal calls for abolishing these export restrictions, opening the door for Japan to engage in broader arms trade.
Observers noted that the move could reshape Japan’s defense posture and strengthen its role in international security partnerships.
