Japanese authorities have decided to abandon the principle of military restraint, the U.S. magazine Foreign Affairs reports.

According to the magazine, Japan plans to double its military spending. The country's authorities are going to increase the defense budget over the next five years by about $315 billion. Moreover, the country's authorities are considering the concept of launching counterattacks on enemy territory.

The magazine notes that the new strategy differs significantly from Tokyo's previous policy.

Tokyo has traditionally limited its activities to multilateral peacekeeping and the U.S.-Japan alliance, and defense spending was limited to one percent of GDP, the publication noted.

Foreign Affairs points out that over the years Japan has had the demographic, economic, and technological potential to become a great power, but today the country faces new challenges. The magazine names China, which is building up both conventional and nuclear weapons, as Japan's main threat. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is also seen as a threat, which, according to the magazine, conducted 86 missile tests in 2022.

Foreign Affairs reports that Tokyo is considering the concept of a retaliatory strike because authorities are worried that Japan's current missile defense system is insufficient.