A personal zine exploring Japan’s changing defence policy from the perspective of someone who has lived in both Japan and Australia. This publication examines the April 2026 Australia–Japan military frigate deals, Japan’s expansion of arms exports, and the gradual shift away from its postwar pacifist stance.
At its core is an often overlooked reality: many Japanese voters oppose these changes, even as the government moves to relax restrictions on lethal weapons exports to partner countries, including Australia. The zine explores public opinion in Japan, the history of the arms export ban rooted in the pacifist constitution, and how successive governments have weakened these restrictions through reinterpretation and policy changes.
Bringing perspectives often missing from Australian media, this independent publication offers a cross-cultural look at Japan–Australia security relations, democracy, and the ongoing debate over peace, defence, and national identity.
Uguisu Books creates books and zines exploring social issues in Japan and Australia, the history of the Asia Pacific region, and the experiences of living between different cultures and languages.
