ial said, reversing a decades-old policy amid increasing concern about military threats in the region. While Japan has no current plans for a new defense project in space, experts say the law could clear the way for the launch of early-warning satellites.
The move comes amid growing concerns here about North Korea's ballistic missile development and China's military and space programs.
The opposition-controlled upper house voted 221 to 14 to revise a 1969 parliamentary resolution limiting Japan's use of space to non-military applications, an upper house official said.
The bill was already approved by the lower house last week.
The law says that the use and development of space should be done "in accordance with the pacifist spirit of the Japanese constitution" and benefit the security of Japan and the international community.
It aims to remove any legal obstacles to building more advanced spy satellites and to help innovation in the country's space industry.
The opposition Japanese Communist Party was against the bill, fearing it would lead to a stronger military.
But Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura dismissed concerns that the law could mean Japan's defense capabilities exceed the constitutional limits.
"Who in the world would think Japan would try to invade another country by using satellites? It's impossible," the top government spokesman told a press conference, Kyodo News reported.
