Japan has dropped a proposal to develop its first long-range surface-to-surface missile due to protests from a Buddhist-oriented party in the ruling coalition, an official said Wednesday.
The Defense Agency planned to study building the new missile amid growing concern about neighbors North Korea and China, in a move that could effectively end Japan's self-imposed ban on offensive weapons.
But coalition partner New Komeito strongly opposed the move, leading the government to notify the party it was dropping the study from an upcoming defense plan, a New Komeito official said.
"The study on developing such missiles could enable Japan to acquire the ability to attack enemy bases," the official said.
"We cannot overlook it as it also poses the question about the constitution," which bars Japan from using force to solve international disputes, he said.
The missile would have been included on a five-year defense buildup program starting from April 2005. The cabinet is expected to approve the program Friday along with new defense guidelines being updated for the first time since 1995.
New Komeito is backed by Japan's biggest lay Buddhist group, Soka Gakkai.
The party has been in a balancing act between the Liberal Democratic Party of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, a close US ally and supporter of the Iraq invasion, and Soka Gakkai members opposed to war.
Japan's current ground-based missiles are only capable of hitting air or seaborne targets as opposed to long-range ground targets.
But in October an advisory panel to Koizumi called for Japan to consider acquiring the ability to launch pre-emptive strikes on foreign missile vessels.
The mass-circulation Yomiuri Shimbun, which quoted anonymous defense officials, said last week Japan was considering the long-range missile out of concern that China or North Korea could try to invade an outlying island.
