In Focus Podcast | Japan’s strategic shift: What Takaichi’s return means

Japan’s strategic posture is undergoing one of its most consequential transformations since the end of the Second World War. Long defined by its pacifist Constitution and its reliance on the United States for security guarantees, Japan built its global identity as an economic power that exercised influence largely through trade, technology and diplomacy. Over the past decade, however, shifting regional dynamics, particularly China’s rise and growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific, have prompted a reassessment in Tokyo about the country’s defence capabilities, alliance structures and strategic autonomy.

This reassessment has accelerated under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, whose leadership marks both a symbolic and political milestone as Japan’s first woman prime minister. Often associated with the conservative legacy of Shinzo Abe, Takaichi has signalled continuity in strengthening Japan’s security architecture while also projecting a more assertive political style. Her tenure raises important questions about how far Japan is willing to reinterpret constitutional constraints, expand defence spending and recalibrate its role within the U.S.–Japan alliance.

At the same time, Japan finds itself navigating an increasingly complex external environment. Strategic competition between the United States and China, evolving regional security partnerships and debates over economic security and supply chain resilience have all influenced Tokyo’s policy choices. For countries such as India, which views Japan as a central pillar of its Indo-Pacific strategy, these shifts carry significant diplomatic and economic implications.

In this episode, we explore what Japan’s changing strategic identity means in practical terms: whether Takaichi represents continuity or disruption in Japan’s post-war trajectory, how Tokyo is balancing alliance commitments with a desire for greater autonomy, and what these developments signal for the broader Indo-Pacific order.

Guest: Sanjaya Baru, Policy Analyst, economist, and writer.

Host: Shikha Kumari

Producer: Jude Weston

For more episodes of In Focus: