Japanese Defence Strategy & Rearmament - Japan's ambitious plans & lessons from Ukraine

Among wealthy economies, Japan has long been one of the lowest spenders on Defence as a percentage of GDP. Japan's culture of pacifism is rooted in the nation's post-war experience and the restrictions on its rights and ability to wage war set out in Article 9 of its post-war constitution. But Japan's economy is deeply dependent on the global security situation, and with rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific and the shock of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine Japan's plans have undergone a sudden transformation. Old taboos about long range weapons have dropped away, and a huge influx of spending aimed at overhauling JSDF capabilities is now being planned. There is no change to Japan's constitution, and Japan's cultural and legal restrictions on the use of force remain deeply entrenched - but the capabilities of the JSDF are likely to change. In this video, I look at Japan's strategic position and the present strength of the JSDF, unpack Japan's 2022 defence strategy, and what impact it may have on both Japan's capabilities going forward. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PerunAU Caveats and comments: Regarding % of GDP by industry - these are always fraught by issues (direct or indirect impacts, year etc).it's probably better to give a range saying Japanese GDP which may range from as low as 15 percent upwards - I apologise for giving the impression of false precision While these presentation focuses on Japan's strategy documents as described - it is impossible to comprehensively cover their content. It should not be relied on (for example, to guide business or investment decisions). I'd also like to note that I'm aware that these productions make heavy use of humour, sarcasm, Australianisms and irreverence - these videos are intended to be entertainment - but I do not wish to come off as being disrespectful. I also refer to the re-opening of Japan in 1850s as involving a steam-powered ironclad - that is incorrect. Mississippi was a steam powered paddle frigate - but she was not armoured. Sources and further reading: Platform and personnel counts as per Military Balance 2022 Defence of Japan 2022 (EN) https://www.mod.go.jp/en/publ/w_paper/wp2022/DOJ2022_EN_Full_02.pdf National Defence Strategy 2022 (EN) https://www.mod.go.jp/j/policy/agenda/guideline/strategy/pdf/strategy_en.pdf Defence Buildup Program 2022 (EN) https://www.mod.go.jp/j/policy/agenda/guideline/plan/pdf/program_en.pdf JMSDF BMD ship: https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/first-rendering-of-japans-ballistic-missile-defense-ship-concept-released Japan deploys UUV https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/dsei-japan-2023-ihi-develops-uuv-for-mine-detection Japan to acquire 400 tomahawks https://thediplomat.com/2023/02/pm-kishida-announces-japan-will-acquire-400-tomahawk-missiles-from-us/ US, RoK, Japan BMD exercises https://www.cpf.navy.mil/Newsroom/News/Article/3182274/us-japan-and-the-republic-of-korea-conduct-a-trilateral-ballistic-missile-defen/ Reporting on Quad exercises in Indian media https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/quad-navies-to-exercise-off-japan-in-pacific-in-november-101664253954430.html Polling on Okinawa basing: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/05/05/national/okinawa-bases-survey/ Japan and US to expedite equipment development https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/defense-security/20230113-83666/ Sample (illustrative only) opinion polling https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2022/09/5a31216c1d52-japanese-s-koreans-see-each-other-more-favorably-poll-shows.html https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h01154/ Japan, Sweden, & GCAP https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/japan-sweden-sign-deal-for-possible-gcap-co-operation Strategist article on build up options for the Japanese submarine fleet https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/how-japan-could-quickly-build-up-its-submarine-force/ Interview commenting on DIB margins in Japan https://www.ft.com/content/9f1edb02-2e71-4df9-9d67-7808013b7f52 Japan approves 26% spending increase https://thediplomat.com/2022/12/japan-approves-26-3-increase-in-defense-spending-for-fiscal-year-2023/ Reporting on Japanese LNG imports https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Energy/Japan-set-to-cede-LNG-import-crown-to-China Reporting on the build-up announcement https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/12/16/pacifist-japan-unveils-unprecedented-320bn-military-build-up The case for Japanese land power in the first island chain - War on the rocks https://warontherocks.com/2023/02/the-case-for-japanese-land-power-in-the-first-island-chain/ Timestamp: 00:00:00 — Japanese Rearmament 00:01:38 — What Am I Talking About? 00:02:41 — Historical Development 00:15:07 — Japan's Strategic Position 00:21:43 — The JSDF 00:34:13 — Industry & Systems 00:38:18 — Japanese Strategic Thinking 00:43:01 — Building Up The JSDF 00:59:41 — An Alliance Driven Force 01:06:05 — Challenges & Options 01:11:41 — Conclusions 01:12:32 — Channel Update