Japan's defence ministry has deployed long-range missiles with counterstrike capabilities at two bases, marking a shift from its defence-only policy. The move has sparked concerns in Japan and abroad.

Japan’s defence ministry said on Tuesday that long-range missiles with counterstrike capabilities have been brought into service at two Ground Self-Defence Force bases in the country. The deployment of the missiles at Camp Kengun in Kumamoto prefecture, southwestern Japan, and Camp Fuji in Shizuoka prefecture, central Japan, marks a shift from the country’s exclusively defence-oriented policy under its war-renouncing constitution. Japan has for the first time acquired a counterstrike capability,...