Japan is considering exporting lethal weapons by revising its strict guidelines on the transfer of defense equipment under its postwar pacifist Constitution, a government source said Thursday.
One of the ideas under discussion is that the government will realize such exports on condition that they would help boost the deterrence of the importing nation and contribute to Japan's security environment, according to the source.
The plan comes as the government has been unable to ship lethal weapons to Ukraine, despite a call for anti-tank missiles from Tokyo after Russia's invasion started in late February.