How Japan Is Digging In to Deter – and Withstand – a Conflict Over Taiwan As Japan accelerates its preparations for a potential conflict over Taiwan, Tokyo's defense plans are becoming increasingly entangled in a complex web of economic, demographic, and political constraints.
The recent purchase of a former Nippon Steel site to build a sprawling new defense hub in Kure, Hiroshima prefecture, is just one manifestation of Tokyo's growing emphasis on military resilience within its own territory.
This shift from deterrence to sustained combat readiness reflects a grim reality that has taken hold in Japanese defense planning: preparing for a Taiwan crisis increasingly means preparing to defend Japan itself.