Japan as a new arms exporter: expectations, realities and strategic stakes

Under Shinzo Abe, Japan has been engaged in a quest for "normalcy" that, since 2014, implied the capacity to export weapons. Is Japan re-militarizing? What are the stakes of this evolution, at a time of geopolitical turmoil in the Northeast Asian region? This note aims at detailing the context, the expectations and the realities of Japan’s simultaneous defense of arms exports and a proactive contribution to peace. On such basis, it sheds light on the associated strategic stakes. 

Crédit photo : Mamoまも / Wikimedia Commons