A forum on security and defense power for the Abe administration is set to propose a review of Japan's long-standing weapons export ban when writing a guideline for the nation's diplomacy and defense policy. It is clear that the forum will call for drastically easing the ban. The ban is an important pillar of Japan's postwar "defense-only defense" posture, which has helped Japan gain trust from the international community. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is believed to favor abolishing the weapons export ban.

Such a move would damage Japan's trustworthiness in the international community and raise suspicions about its intentions. It would also greatly increase the possibility that weapons produced wholly or partially by Japan would be used in conflicts abroad, and could lead some countries or groups to regard Japan as an enemy.

Article 9 of the Constitution renounces the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes. This primarily applies to Japan's basic stance in dealing with other countries. Still, a lifting of the weapons export ban violates Article 9's spirit. Members of the forum have been handpicked by the Abe administration and do not represent the will of most citizens. It is deplorable that Mr. Abe is letting such a body make a decision that will help to undermine one of the basic principles of postwar Japan. At the very least, the Abe administration should fully explain its stance on the ban before the Diet so that it can fully scrutinize the issue.