The assertion of Japanese military power in South Asia

By adopting a foreign policy strategy that gives its defense forces greater autonomy from the United States, Japan intends to become a major player in the struggle for influence in the Indo-Pacific.

The 8,000 kilometers that separate Ukraine from Japan have not prevented the latter from vigorously supporting Western efforts to oppose Russia's war of aggression since 2022. The Japanese authorities have been so proactive because they wish to dissuade China from following Russia's bellicose example in satisfying its territorial ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region. But above all, the war in Ukraine has made Japan's leaders realize that their country, too, would have to rely heavily on its own military resources to ensure its defense in the event of conflict.