Japan Starts Arms Sales

The Japanese government appears ready to abolish a major arms embargo that has remained in effect since 1967. According to the Yumiwoori on December 18, the Japanese ministry is on track to partially amend its three major principles of arms sales -- an arms embargo against the Communist bloc, an arms embargo by U.N. resolution, and an arms embargo against troubled areas of the world that was established during the term of Sato Eisakoo, a prime minister who sanctioned arms sales with the United States.

Japan eased a standard of one of the principles under certain conditions in 1983, when it said, “a transfer of arms manufacturing technology is allowed only in the case of the U.S.,” but this mitigation was limited to arms manufacturing technology and not the weapon itself.

The Japanese ministry’s new decision to amend these three basic principles of their arms embargo is based on the fact that under the current regulations, Japan is unable to export missile parts made in Japan to the U.S. when joint research on missile defense launched in 1999 successfully reaches the production stage.

Yet, specialists expect potential exports to third countries through the U.S. once Japan starts arms sales to the United States.

It is generally known that the Japanese ministry will decide on its policy in a cabinet meeting on security affairs on December 19 and then issue a cabinet minister’s statement in the form of a conversation.

Hun-Joo Cho hanscho@donga.com