The Washington Post says Japan is in the midst of a significant shift to the right, acting more confrontationally in East Asia than at any time since World War Two.

In a report titled, "With China’s rise, Japan shifts to the right," the U.S. daily said the shift has been driven both by China’s rapid maritime expansion and by a growing sense that Japan should recover its clout in the region lost during two decades of economic stagnation.

The newspaper also says Tokyo’s shift can be seen in mainstream politicians pushing to revise key portions of the pacifist constitution and their new willingness to clash with China, particularly in the East China Sea.

The Post quoted Japanese government data collected early this year as showing that 25 percent of its people think Japan should increase military strength.

The polls suggest Japanese increasingly feel a pacifist attitude no longer helps the country's diplomatic strategies.