The pacifist credo that has given modern Japan its distinctive security framework is moving increasingly into the spotlight as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe prepares to shake up the postwar regime.
Dissatisfied with the restrictions imposed by the Constitution, Abe aims to implement changes to enable Japan to exercise the right of collective self-defense and set new rules on arms exports.
The plans are part of his desire to redefine security policy at a time when China's military buildup and aerial and maritime assertiveness are raising alarms in East Asia.