Japan’s Cabinet on Friday approved a record defence budget plan exceeding 9 trillion yen (USD 58 billion) for the coming year, aiming to fortify its strike-back capability and coastal defence with cruise missiles and unmanned arsenals as tensions rise in the region.
The draft budget for fiscal 2026 beginning April is up 9.4 per cent from 2025 and marks the fourth year of Japan’s ongoing five-year programme to double annual arms spending to 2 per cent of gross domestic product.
The increase comes as Japan faces elevated tension from China. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in November that her country’s military could get involved if China were to take action against Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing says must come under its rule.
Takaichi’s government, under US pressure for a military increase, pledged to achieve the 2 per cent target by March, two years earlier than planned. Japan also plans to revise the ongoing security and defence policy by December 2026 t​Japan’s Cabinet on Friday approved a record defence budget plan exceeding 9 trillion yen (USD 58 billion) for the coming year, aiming to fortify its strike-back capability and coastal defence with cruise missiles and unmanned arsenals as tensions rise in the region.
The draft budget for fiscal 2026 beginning April is up 9.4 per cent from 2025 and marks the fourth year of Japan’s ongoing five-year programme to double annual arms spending to 2 per cent of gross domestic product.
The increase comes as Japan faces elevated tension from China. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in November that her country’s military could get involved if China were to take action against Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing says must come under its rule.
Takaichi’s government, under US pressure for a military increase, pledged to achieve the 2 per cent target by March, two years earlier than planned. Japan also plans to revise the ongoing security and defence policy by December 2026 t ​Latest News [ SOBAN NEWS: International and National ]
