By Hong Yunxin
The Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (LDP) recently submitted a draft proposal calling on the government to further increase defense spending. Since the release of the National Security Strategy of Japan 2022, Japan has steadily shed the mask of a "peaceful country," driving continuous and substantial increases in defense expenditure. In fiscal year 2022, Japan's defense budget stood at 5.4 trillion yen. Since then, this number has surged year by year, and infiscal year 2025, two years ahead of the original target of fiscal year 2027, Japan achieved its goal of spending 2% of GDP on defense. In fiscal year 2026, Japan's defense budget reached 9.04 trillion yen, setting another record high. The current push for a further significant hike in defense spending fully demonstrates that Japan is racing at full speed down the path of neo-militarism.
An examination of Japan's ongoing military expansion reveals its aggressive intentions. In March 2026, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced the deployment of the Type 25 Surface-to-Ship Guided Missile (25SSM) in Kumamoto Prefecture. This missile is an improved version of the Type 12 surface-to-ship missile with a range exceeding 1,000 kilometers, serving as a key component of Japan's so-called "counterstrike capabilities." At the same time, Japan is accelerating the development of its space domain combat capabilities, with its low earth orbit military reconnaissance network, the "satellite constellation, "already operational as of April 2026. Reports indicate that Japan is seeking to join the US-led "Golden Dome" missile defense program and is attempting to enhance its missile defense capabilities through space-based interceptors, demonstrating that its military expansion is extending into new combat domains such as space.
The military expansion ambitions of Sanae Takaichi's cabinet ultimately come at the expense of ordinary citizens. To finance the skyrocketing defense spending, Takaichi's cabinet has adopted a three-pronged strategy: issuing bonds as the primary means, supplemented by tax increases and cuts to welfare spending.After World War II, successive Japanese governments strictly limited the use of government bonds to fund defense expenditures to avoid repeating past mistakes. However, in 2023, Fumio Kishida's cabinet broke this taboo by issuing 434.3 billion yen in construction bonds for the first time to support increased defense spending. In 2026, Takaichi's cabinet further raised the issuance of construction bonds, surpassing the previous administration. Japan has also created a new tax category specifically to fund defense expansion, imposing a 4% "special defense corporate tax" on relevant businesses. Starting in January 2027, a 1% "special defense income tax" will be added to personal income tax.
Against this backdrop, budgets for healthcare, education, and other welfare programs continue to be squeezed, severely undermining the well-being of ordinary Japanese citizens. Some Japanese media outlets have pointed out that if defense spending rises to 3.5% of GDP, the annual per capita financial burden on Japanese citizens will increase significantly. Such disregard for people's livelihoods has sparked strong discontent among many Japanese citizens. On May 3, Japan's Constitution Memorial Day, a large number of Japanese citizens took to the streets to protest, voicing deep concern over the dangerous attempt by Takaichi's cabinet to build a "war-capable nation."
Overreach in military buildup will eventually backfire. Recently, Takaichi's cabinet has pushed for early revision of the "Three Security Documents," including the National Security Strategy, aggressively restructured the Self-Defense Forces' organizational framework, and accelerated the introduction of new military equipment. These actions are severely impacting regional security and stability. The international community should remain highly vigilant against Japan's dangerous military expansion, resolutely curb Japan's reckless pursuit of neo-militarism, and jointly defend the international order based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, as well as peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.
(The author is affiliated with Shanghai University of International Business and Economics.)