Japan moves to shed pacifist ways with major defense buildup

TOKYO — Alarmed by increasing security threats and the risk of war in the Indo-Pacific, Japan will seek to purchase hundreds of U.S.-built Tomahawk cruise missiles as part of a major defense buildup unprecedented in the postwar period, Japanese and U.S. officials said.

The missile buy would boost Japan’s long-range strike capability and mark a stunning break with a long tradition of eschewing offensive weapons. And it would enhance Japan’s conventional deterrent as China undertakes a sweeping military modernization and North Korea barrels ahead with its nuclear program.

Japan will move forward on the Tomahawk decision as a part of the rollout of its new national security and defense strategies this month, along with a major hike in Japan’s defense budget — to the NATO benchmark of 2 percent of gross domestic product, which would make it the third-largest in the world. Together, these steps signal a Japan moving to shed its longtime pacifist constraints.