Japan Arms Ban Hurts Security as Firms Quit Industry, Group Says

Japan’s arms export ban and shrinking defense budget pose a potential security risk after dozens of companies quit weapons production, the nation’s biggest business lobby said.

Japan will be left behind as a “closed nation” in military technology because the ban prevents companies from joining international weapons projects such as Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 Joint Striker Fighter, said Keiichiro Iwasaki, a defense committee member at the Keidanren.