Bangladesh, April 24 -- It is hardly surprising that Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has recently taken cognizance of Tokyos “defence vacuum” in its “Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy.” One finds this is in harmony with a near consensus across the Japanese strategic community that the country needs to overhaul its FOIP strategy.

The consensus notes Japan has never been a military superpower. But it has always sought to remain influential on the international scene. It became the first non-Western country to attain the status of a “modern state” in the late 19th century. It achieved economic great-power status during the Cold War. It has struggled to play an active security role at the inte...