Fumio Kishida

Force in Play

Left office; his security strategy continues to shape policy

For eight decades, Japan's military existed under a constitutional leash: no offensive weapons, no power projection, no ability to strike an enemy beyond its own shores. That era ended on March 9, 2026, when trucks carrying upgraded Type-12 missiles rolled into Camp Kengun in Kumamoto under cover of darkness. Built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the missiles can hit targets roughly 1,000 kilometers away—enough to reach mainland China—and represent Japan's first domestically developed long-range strike weapons.

Updated Mar 9

Rule Changes

Oversaw government response to scandal

Tetsuya Yamagami shot former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a campaign rally in July 2022, using a homemade gun he built after his mother's donations to the Unification Church—totaling $720,000—destroyed his family. On January 21, 2026, a Nara court sentenced him to life in prison, rejecting defense arguments that his traumatic upbringing warranted leniency.

Updated Jan 24