Japanese PM Takaichi Sanae is overseeing her country’s biggest defense transformation since World War II, launching a new National Intelligence Bureau, expanding the capabilities of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and deepening security partnerships across the Indo-Pacific. Meanwhile, Tokyo's latest Defense White Paper describes China as its "greatest strategic challenge," while joint Chinese and Russian military activities near Japan continue to intensify. Is Japan becoming a more proactive security leader in the Indo-Pacific — and how far can it expand its defense role within its postwar constitutional framework? In this episode, we examine Japan's evolving defense strategy, the regional response and what Tokyo's transformation means for Taiwan, the First Island Chain and the future balance of power in the Indo-Pacific.
*Recorded on August 8, 2026 at 3pm Taiwan Standard Time
Host: Wen-Ti Sung
Producer: Chinyeh Chiang
Videographer: Damon Lin
Our guests:
Kuo Yu-jen
- National Sun Yat-sen University Institute of China and Asia-Pacific Studies Professor and Director
Ronan Fu
- Academia Sinica Institute of Political Science Assistant Research Fellow
Chapters:
00:00:00 – Japan’s New National Intel Bureau
00:02:02 – Takaichi Lays Groundwork for Stronger Japan
00:15:40 – Tokyo’s China Challenge
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26:41
26:24
26:31
25:45
24:27
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23:40
24:46
26:17
25:37
24:47
23:31
25:47
24:11
26:02