But the terrorist attacks on the US in September 2001 pressed Japan to recognize that it must begin to exercise greater autonomy and independent judgment in formulating and implementing its national security policies. The paradigm of international security that had long dominated Japan's defense thinking had shifted and policymakers realized that they had to shift with it.
但是，发生在2001年的911恐怖袭击事件使日本意识到，日本已经到了必须提高国家自主，并对制定和实施国家安全政策作出独立判断的时候了。长期以来主导日本国防理念的国际安全模式发生了动摇，政策制定者们意识到他们必须改变它。对于今天的日本来说，安全政策必须符合三大标准："国家利益"、"结盟"和"国际合作"。