Japan's Potential Contributions in an East China Sea Contingency

In the Indo-Pacific region, the alliance the United States has with Japan is arguably its most important. If a high-end contingency erupts in the East China Sea and the United States becomes engaged in major conventional combat operations with China, what roles can and might Japan play? This report assesses the strengths and limitations of Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF), as well as restrictions on SDF use of force ingrained in Japanese law.