Japan has been expanding its military roles in the post-Cold War period. While the conventional security threats associated with China’s military rise and North Korea’s nuclear weapons are still present, Japan’s participation in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, the arms trade ban policy, regional maritime capacity-building and shaping international norms have become more influential in Japan’s foreign and defence policy. How have domestic norms and political interests contributed to this trend? How does Japan balance a desire to broaden its military role without violating the pacifist domestic norm? And how will it expand relations with other states to pursue its economic and security interests in a changing region? The book launch of Japan’s Evolving Security Policy: Militarisation within a Pacifist Tradition by Kyoko Hatakeyama, published by Routledge. Panel: Professor Kyoko Hatakeyama (Graduate School of International Studies and Regional Development, University of Niigata Prefecture) Professor Nick Bisley (Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University) Associate Professor Nobuhiro Aizawa (Department of Cultural Studies, Kyushu University) Dr Bec Strating (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia) Held as live zoom panel on 8th June, 2021.