TRANSFORMATION OF JAPAN'S DEFENCE POLICY DURING PRIME MINISTER SANAE TAKAICHI'S TERM IN OFFICE

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyse changes in Japan’s defence policy during Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s term in office. It has been proven that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s defence policy is a significant rethinking of approaches to security strategy in response to regional conditions. Increasing defence spending and implementing institutional reforms to create new defence capabilities. Takaichi’s initiatives are a continuation of Japan’s security evolution since the Cold War and a strengthening of its own capabilities to protect its national interests. Sanae Takai’s reforms directly influence the creation of a new security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region. It is emphasised that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is promoting a comprehensive reorientation of Japan’s defence policy in response to changing regional security threats and domestic political dynamics. This article examines the ideological foundations, institutional reforms and strategic reorientations that underpin Takaichi’s defence policy. It assesses how her approach combines constitutional constraints with a more assertive security posture, the implications for Japan’s alliance architecture, and the broader geopolitical context shaping Tokyo’s defence priorities. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s defence policy represents a significant revision of Japan’s security strategy in response to complex regional circumstances. By promoting institutional reforms, increasing defence spending and rethinking long-standing political constraints, her administration is steering Japan towards a more proactive and capable defence posture. These initiatives reflect both a continuation of Japan’s post-Cold War security evolution and a clear strategic ambition to assert greater autonomy in safeguarding national interests. How these reforms shape Japan’s long-term strategic role will depend on their implementation, the management of alliances, and the broader trajectory of regional geopolitics. The strategic logic underpinning Prime Minister Takaichi’s defence policy is based on a multidimensional understanding of the threat: the expansion of neighbouring states’ conventional armed forces, the proliferation of nuclear weapons and missiles, hybrid tactics, and systemic geopolitical rivalry. Her administration’s description of the regional environment as historically severe provides justification for increased defence spending, doctrinal adaptation and institutional reform. Sanae Takaichi’s policies have helped to enhance attention to Japan’s economic security, focusing on technological sovereignty, the diversification of supply chains and the strengthening of strategic autonomy. Priorities have included the development of domestic semiconductor production, investment in cybersecurity and digital infrastructure as factors in maintaining international competitiveness. The concept of economic security combines domestic industrial policy instruments with the objectives of foreign security and economic diplomacy. The emphasis on technological sovereignty, particularly through support for research into rocket technology, quantum communications and advanced materials, reflects a desire to preserve critical capabilities in the face of geopolitical fragmentation and to align national security priorities with industrial development. The focus on human capital development has become a key component of defence reform under the leadership of Sanae Takaichi. Against the backdrop of a demographic decline, emphasis has been placed on improving service conditions, expanding the role of women and modernising personnel training systems, with the aim of maintaining the combat readiness of the Self-Defence Forces. Organisational changes aimed at strengthening cooperation between the branches of the armed forces are contributing to greater operational integration. At the same time, the maintenance of constitutional constraints is coupled with a narrowing of the gap between the state’s economic potential and its military capabilities, which may simultaneously strengthen deterrence and exacerbate regional security dilemmas.