PRESS CONFERENCE
"Building Up Japan's Defense Industry"
Hirohito Ogi, Senior Research Fellow, the Institute of Geoeconomics 
Rintaro Inoue, Research Fellow, the Institute of Geoeconomics

14:00-15:00 Thursday, April 2, 2026
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in English.

Japan's defense industry has long served only one customer, the nation's Self-Defense Force. Strict export restrictions, prolonged fiscal austerity and a de facto spending cap stunted its weapons manufacturers.

This has started to change, as Japan has vowed to double its security-related spending to offset the size and strength of Chinese People's Liberation Army -- and compensate for an erratic and unreliable United States. The result could be a revival of Japan's defense industry, especially if Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi charts a more autonomous course through Japan's increasingly fluid geopolitical neighborhood.

Our guests foresee an "era of excess demand," in which Japan's defense industry surges in size to produce the missiles, warships and aircraft that the country seeks, as well as sell to foreign buyers as restrictions on weapons exports are removed. However, Hirohito Ogi and Rintaro Inoue of the Institute of Geoeconomics, a think-tank with expertise on economy security and defense industrial policy, also see challenges ahead, as the industry struggles to shed old business practices and increase investment on research and development.

Please join us for a deep look at a Japanese defense industry that is trying to shift "from a peacetime maintenance mindset to one focused on...a rapidly deteriorating security environment."

How to attend: 
Please register by emailing front@fccj.or.jp with your name and the name of your media outlet. FCCJ members should also include their membership number. Doors will open 15 minutes before the event.

How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live  

How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/6DKm32t5HQ6aBd9H8  

TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event. FCCJ will limit live-streaming of FCCJ-hosted press conferences to Club members only. Non-members will no longer be permitted to live-stream these events. However, non-members may still film for reporting purposes and use footage after the press conference.

Professional Activities Committee