The Mainichi:

Japan’s ruling parties agreed Friday that the country should pledge to acquire a “counterstrike capability” to address the rapid deterioration of the regional security environment, heralding a major shift in the nation’s security policy.

The Liberal Democratic Party had advocated obtaining an enemy base strike capability, while its junior coalition partner Komeito, known as a pacifist party, had been wary that such a move would constitute a change in Japan’s exclusively self-defense-oriented policy.

Click here to read more