Balance of Power

Japan Raises Its Head in a Neighborhood of Threats

Sanae Takaichi is pursuing a vision of a more powerful Japan.

The Mogami-class stealth frigate JS Mikuma in Yokosuka, Japan.Photographer: Yuichi Yamazaki/Pool/Getty Images

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By Alastair Gale

April 23, 2026 at 9:59 AM UTC

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When Japan’s Mitsubishi “Zero” fighter jet took to the skies in the early 1940s, it quickly gained a reputation as lethal in dogfights thanks to its agility and speed.