Japan's defense white paper for 2023 stresses the need for the country to possess counterstrike capabilities as it faces the most severe and complex security environment since the end of World War Two.

The annual report was presented to a Cabinet meeting on Friday.

The report notes that China has become a serious source of concern for both Japan and the international community, as it has accelerated activities of unmanned aerial vehicles and repeated joint activities between the Chinese and Russian militaries.

It also refers to North Korea's repeated launches of ballistic missiles. It says Pyongyang has kept developing missile-related technologies based on a five-year plan launched in 2021.

The report says Japan will drastically boost its defense capabilities by focusing on potential adversaries' capabilities and new forms of warfare.

It stresses that counterstrike capabilities against missile launch bases will be a key to deterring an invasion of Japan. Tokyo earlier decided to possess the capabilities for the first time since the inauguration of the Japan Self-Defense Forces.

At the same time, the report says Japan is not changing its exclusively defense-oriented policy, adding that counterattack targets will be limited to military ones.

The report also notes in a newly created section that efforts will be made to ensure the SDF has zero tolerance for harassment.

The move comes after a scandal in which a female former member of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force was sexually harassed.