Japan Mulls Allocating Record ¥9 Tril. for Defense in Fy26 Budget; Figure Marks 14th Consecutive Year of Increase

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:57 JST, December 17, 2025

The government is considering allocating a record of more than ¥9 trillion for defense spending in its initial fiscal 2026 budget proposal, according to sources from the government and ruling parties.

The move aligns with the government’s plan to allocate ¥43 trillion for defense spending over five years from fiscal 2023. The proposed figure, which includes costs for U.S. military realignment, exceeds this fiscal year’s ¥8.7 trillion, marking the 14th consecutive year of increase.

In its August budget request, the Defense Ministry included costs for purchasing unmanned aircraft and introduction of a control system for its “SHIELD” coastal defense initiative.

The Diet enacted a supplementary budget for fiscal 2025 on Tuesday that includes about ¥1.1 trillion for security-related expenditures covering defense spending and the Japan Coast Guard budget. As a result, the government has achieved its goal of raising security-related spending to 2% of gross domestic product, two years ahead of schedule.