Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution

Article 9 of Japan's Constitution — adopted in 1947 under US Occupation direction (often called the "MacArthur Constitution") — contains two paragraphs. Paragraph 1 renounces war as a sovereign right and the threat or use of force to settle international disputes. Paragraph 2 states that "war potential" will never be maintained. Despite this, Japan established the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) in 1954, justified by successive governments as maintaining the minimum necessary for self-defense. A landmark reinterpretation came in July 2014 when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet reinterpreted Article 9 to allow "collective self-defense" — permitting Japan to use force in defense of allied nations under attack, even if Japan itself is not attacked. This was codified in the 2015 Peace and Security legislation. Japan's defense posture has further evolved with the 2022 National Security Strategy, which approved "counterstrike capabilities" for the first time.