Japan’s Contemporary Security Challenges: 2016 and Beyond

Facing threats around the Asian region and in an uncertain world, is Japan’s Article 9 obsolete? The Japanese government, like other governments around the world, sees the demands of 21st century national security as requiring new strategies and alignments. Political scientist Andrew L. Oros addresses several critical questions to help viewers better understand Japan’s security challenges and policies: Why does Japan’s security policy matter to the US and the world? How do legacies of Japan’s WWII past and it’s post-WWII security policy shape Japan’s current security policies? What are Japan’s current security challenges? What are the new directions being taken by the Abe government and why are these seen as controversial both within and outside Japan?