A plan to purchase new cruise missiles is likely to anger supporters of Japan’s pacifist constitution.
Japan plans to acquire medium-range air-to-surface missiles, expanding its strike capability to North Korea.
The announcement by Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera comes amid regular missile tests by North Korea and increased tensions between the nations.
The missiles will be deployed on the country’s fleet of fighter jets and have a range of up to 1,000km (3281ft).
The move is likely to be controversial, as Japan limits its military to self-defence .
But conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pushed in recent months to loosen the country’s military restrictions, imposed in the wake of World World Two.
New laws introduced by Mr Abe will soon allow a broader interpretation of what the constitution does, and does not, permit.
At the moment, Japan’s longest-range missiles can reach just 300km.
