Japan relaxes arms export rules to sell lethal weapons to 17 countries

Key facts

• Japan has relaxed restrictions on arms exports, allowing the sale of lethal weapons to 17 countries with which it has defence agreements, including the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK).
• The previous restrictions limited arms exports to five categories: rescue, transport, warning, surveillance, and minesweeping.
• The policy change was announced under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who assumed office in October 2025.
• A ban on arms sales to countries involved in conflict remains in place, except for those that have defence pacts with Japan.
• Japan's Self-Defence Forces (SDF) participated as combatants for the first time in annual war games between the US and the Philippines.
• Japan's post-World War Two constitution, written in 1947, contains Article 9 which renounces war.
• Previous shifts in defence policy include the 2014 relaxation of the blanket ban on military sales by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the 2023 allowance of finished lethal weapon exports by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.