Members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's Special Guard of Honor march outside the Ministry of Defense in Tokyo, Aug. 28, 2025. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)
TOKYO — Japan’s Ministry of Defense on Friday unveiled a record-high defense spending request of $60.1 billion for fiscal 2026, citing what it called severe and continuing security threats from China and North Korea.
The proposal, which would mark Japan’s 14th consecutive annual increase in defense spending, is about $1 billion higher than the current fiscal year’s $59.1 billion budget.
The funding request is part of a five-year defense buildup plan, which aims to raise defense spending to 2% of the country’s gross domestic product by fiscal 2027, with total expenditures projected at $292.6 billion over the life of the plan.
Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, second from left, observes his country's national anthem outside the Ministry of Defense in Tokyo, Aug. 28, 2025, during a visit by his counterpart for the United Kingdom, John Healey. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)
The budget emphasizes standoff defense, unmanned systems and cross-domain operations to counter increasingly diverse, complex and advanced threats, according to the Defense Ministry document.
About $874.8 million is earmarked for unmanned aircraft and unmanned surface and underwater vessels as part of the ministry’s Synchronized, Hybrid, Integrated and Enhanced Littoral Defense program, or SHIELD, set to launch by the end of fiscal 2027.
“In recent years, the nature of combat has changed dramatically with the introduction of unmanned assets and advance in technological innovation in other countries,” the request stated. It added that Japan must establish “an asymmetric and multi-layered defense system” incorporating both manned and unmanned platforms.
The ministry also seeks about $7 billion for standoff defense capabilities, including $207.3 million to begin mass production of hypersonic weapons, which travel at speeds above Mach 5 and are difficult to intercept.
Another $5.2 billion is set aside for improving Self-Defense Force personnel benefits, facilities and living conditions amid declining recruitment and recent misconduct scandals.
Starting next fiscal year, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force will change its name to the Japan Air and Space Self-Defense Force, a year earlier than scheduled, according to the budget document. It will also expand its Space Operations Group into a Space Operations Command to oversee all space missions.
