Once upon a time
Japan built a licensed clone on the F16
...
47 cloned F16s
or
one F35
.
stupid Japanese
“Meanwhile, the additional 20 F-35As are expected to partly replace a current fleet of about 200 F-15s - not the F-4 - which are Japan’s main fighters.”
The F-4 is their main fighter? I seriously doubt that. Japan really should have F-22’s as their main fighter.
I believe Japan intends to convert its "amphibious assault" helicopter carriers into full-fledged fixed-wing aircraft carriers - all it needs is the naval STOL version of the F-35 and a ski-jump welded to the bow of each ship. The F-16 may be a cost-effective fighter, but it's not suited to the air ops they see coming.