Japan is moving ahead with plans to sharply expand its military, approving a record defense budget as tensions with China continue to rise and long-standing constitutional limits face renewed pressure.
The Japanese Cabinet last week approved a defense budget exceeding 9 trillion yen, roughly $58 billion, for the coming year. The plan accelerates Tokyo’s push to double military spending and reach 2 percent of GDP by March, earlier than previously scheduled. The funding is aimed at strengthening strike-back capabilities, coastal defenses, cruise missiles, and unmanned weapons systems.
The move comes amid heightened friction with Beijing. Chinese aircraft reportedly locked radar systems onto Japanese planes during naval drills near southwestern Japan in December, a maneuver widely seen as a possible precursor to missile targeting. In June, two Chinese aircraft carriers were also observed operating near Iwo Jima for the first time, prompting concern in Tokyo over China’s expanding military reach.
In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian criticized the expansion, saying, “Japan is deviating from the path of peaceful development it has long claimed to uphold and is moving further and further in a dangerous direction.”
Japan’s constitution, drafted during the US occupation after World War II, renounces war and forbids maintaining armed forces for settling international disputes. The creation of the Self-Defense Forces in 1954 marked the first reinterprettion of that restriction. Since then, successive governments have stretched the definition of self-defense, allowing overseas deployments and limited use of force.
A major shift occurred in 2014 under former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who reinterpreted the constitution to permit collective self-defense. That change allowed Japan to use force if an ally, including the United States, is attacked, even if Japan itself is not.
The most explicit break came in December 2022, when the government adopted a national security strategy calling for long-range strike capabilities. The document identified China as Japan’s top strategic challenge. Former Cabinet Legislative Bureau head Masahiro Sakata described the change as “the death of Article 9.”
Japan is also moving to expand its defense industry. The government plans to ease remaining arms export restrictions and deepen cooperation with allies. Tokyo is jointly developing next-generation fighter jets with the UK and Italy, finalizing a frigate sale to Australia, and preparing to support U.S. warship maintenance.
Officials are also reviewing controversial proposals, including the possible development of a nuclear submarine. Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Japan continues to uphold its non-nuclear principles, though all options remain under consideration as security pressures mount.
