The Dual Nature of Japan’s Militarization: Strategic Choices and Regional Security Dilemmas Within the Framework of the US-Japan Alliance

Japan’s post-war militarization process exhibits a significant “duality” under the framework of the U.S.-Japan alliance: it serves as a “forward proxy” for the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy while attempting to achieve strategic independence through technological autonomy and multilateral diplomacy. Starting from Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution and the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, this paper analyzes the legal contradictions, internal and external driving forces of Japan’s militarization, and its impact on the security landscape of Northeast Asia. The study finds that Japan’s militarization is driven by domestic right-wing politics, economic resources, and U.S. strategic demands, manifested in offensive weapon deployments and deepened U.S.-Japan military coordination. However, this process has intensified Sino-Japanese confrontations, Japan-South Korea trust deficits, and regional arms races, trapping Japan in a dual dilemma of dependence on the U.S. and pursuit of autonomy. Combining historical analysis and policy research, this paper reveals the structural contradictions of Japan’s militarization, providing new perspectives for understanding the evolution of the U.S.-Japan alliance, Sino-Japanese security relations, and the order in Northeast Asia.