When the Liberal Democratic Party's Shinzo Abe became prime minister in December, some domestic and global media ran editorials labeling his appointment as the sign of Japan's swing to the right.
Abe's administration is considering enabling the Self-Defense Forces to engage in more defensive activities than they currently are allowed. Abe is also considering changing the name of the Self-Defense Forces to Kokubougun in Japanese, which literally means the "military" defending the country.
"There is no doubt Abe is moving Japan toward the right more than other past prime ministers," said Narushige Michishita, an associate professor and the director of the Security and International Studies Program at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies.