Japan Boosts Defense Spending Amid Trump's Call for Increased Security Burden Sharing

Japan's Defense Minister Nakatani announced the government will allocate 8.5 trillion yen (€52.3 billion) for the Defense budget and 1.5 trillion yen (€9.24 billion) for related expenses within the current fiscal year, which began this month and extends to March 2026. This follows President Trump's urging of Japan to increase its contribution to its security costs and the deployment of U.S. military forces. In early March, Trump stated the U.S. has to protect Japan, but Japan does not have to protect the U.S. Japan revised its long-term Defense strategy in late 2022, aiming to raise defense-related spending to 2% of GDP by fiscal year 2027. This includes acquiring counter-attack capabilities, such as hypersonic or long-range missiles. Nakatani stated that Japan's efforts to strengthen defense capabilities are steadily progressing towards the 2% GDP target. Japan's increased spending responds to security challenges, including China's military build-up, North Korea's nuclear and missile developments, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Japan has historically limited defense spending to around 1% of GDP, or 5 trillion yen (€30.8 billion), due to its constitution, which renounces war. In early March, Trump's nominee for Under Secretary of Defense, Elbridge Colby, urged Japan to increase its military budget to 3% of GDP. U.S. military forces are stationed in Japan under the Japan-U.S. security pact, primarily in Okinawa, near Taiwan and the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. The Senkaku Islands, administered by Japan but claimed by China, are a point of tension between Tokyo and Beijing.