The ruling parties approved new guidelines on arms exports Tuesday, setting the stage for the first major overhaul in nearly 50 years of the country's arms embargo policy.
The Cabinet is expected to approve the guidelines next week, while concerns remain that Japan's status as a pacifist state will be undermined without proper checks.
The government told a meeting of the ruling bloc's project team involved in setting the new guidelines that it plans to publish export data in annual reports after being reviewed by the National Security Council, the body launched in December to speed up decision-making on defense and foreign policy.