Japan had been expected to announce the removal of lethal weapons exports restrictions as global military spending surges.

In a landmark shift for its post-war military posture, the Japanese government on Tuesday updated its regulations regarding the export of military hardware, according to a report by Kyodo News.

The approval by prime minister Sanae Takaichi's Cabinet of the new guideline clears a final set of hurdles for many arms sales, including of Japanese-developed warships, combat drones and other weapon...