Japan’s Ministry of Defense has requested a historic 8.54 trillion yen (approximately US$59 billion) for its defense budget for fiscal year 2025. This request marks the first time Japan’s defense budget has exceeded 8 trillion yen, reflecting a significant shift in the country’s military strategy.
The proposed budget places a strong emphasis on enhancing Japan's "counterattack capabilities," a move that marks a notable departure from its traditionally pacifist stance.
The Ministry plans to allocate 970 billion yen to improve long-range defense capabilities. This includes the deployment and mass production of various long-range missiles to bolster Japan's military reach.
An additional 323.2 billion yen is earmarked for developing a satellite constellation system. This system aims to deploy multiple small satellites to monitor and track warships, vessels, and missiles, enhancing Japan’s surveillance and defensive capabilities.
Moreover, 3 billion yen is set aside for the deployment of self-destruct drones for the Ground Self-Defense Force, further strengthening Japan’s defense infrastructure.
These planned expansions in military capabilities have sparked concerns both domestically and internationally. Japan’s move to develop the ability to strike enemy bases is seen as a shift from its post-war pacifist constitution, which has traditionally adhered to an exclusively defense-oriented policy. Critics fear that this shift could trigger an arms race in the region and potentially destabilize the security landscape.
In late 2022, despite widespread opposition, the Fumio Kishida government updated three key security and defense documents, including the National Security Strategy.
This update, along with the proposed budget, represents a significant increase in Japan’s defense spending, with plans to allocate about 43 trillion yen to defense from fiscal 2023 through 2027. This amount is nearly 1.6 times greater than the defense budget of the previous five-year period.
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