The Wire

A 41 year drought in producing a male heir in the Japanese Imperial Family has finished with the birth of a baby boy to the Emperor’s second son Akishino, but the newfound stability in the royal family doesn’t necessarily translate into Japan’s foreign affairs. Japan is the second largest economy in the world and is presently looking at altering its constitution to create a defence force with offensive capabilities. Purnendra Jain is professor and head of Adelaide University’s Centre for Asian Studies and spoke to The Wire about Japan’s push for military self-reliance.