Core Points - The Japanese ruling coalition, consisting of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Japan Innovation Party, is planning to establish a consultation mechanism within the year to discuss the abolition of the "five categories" weapon export restrictions [1] - The "five categories" refer to Japan's current regulations that only allow weapon exports for "rescue, transportation, surveillance, and mine clearance" purposes. Abolishing these restrictions would significantly expand the export of lethal weapons [1] - The "five categories" limitation was introduced in 2014, replacing the previous "three principles on arms exports," and is part of the implementation details of the "three principles on defense equipment transfer" [1] - The LDP and the Japan Innovation Party have explicitly stated in their coalition agreement that they aim to abolish the "five categories" during the regular Diet session in 2026 [1] - The ruling coalition plans to achieve this reform by 2026, as indicated by multiple government and ruling party officials [1]