Japan Meets Buyer Resistance in Asian Arms Market

Posted: July 14th, 2017

By Thomas Cynkin

Dr. Thomas Cynkin is Vice President at the Daniel Morgan Graduate School, and Adjunct Professor of Economics at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. Cynkin previously headed the Washington Office of Fujitsu Ltd. as Vice President and General Manager. A former Foreign Service Officer, he served seven years as a Japanese-speaking diplomat in Japan, and was the Asian affairs advisor to two Deputy Secretaries of State and two US Ambassadors to the UN.

Alongside his “Abenomics” economic reform package, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his government have sought to reform and expand the authority of the Japanese military. This effort has mainly focused on loosening the restrictions against offensive military action imposed by Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution. However, a related effort has worked in parallel to strengthen Japan’s defense industry. In 2014 Abe lifted longstanding restrictions on Japanese arms exports. The Cipher Brief’s Fritz Lodge asked Vice President of the Daniel Morgan Graduate School and former U.S. diplomat in Japan Dr. Thomas Cynkin about what opportunities – and obstacles – lie ahead for Japan’s defense industry.

The Cipher Brief: Why have major Japanese defense contracts – such as the proposed $40 billion sale of Japanese submarines to Australia – fallen though since the relaxation of the arms export ban in 2014?

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