Japan sets largest-ever defense budget for 2026
Japan has set its draft defense budget for fiscal 2026 at a record 9.04 trillion yen ($58 billion), the government said Friday.
The figure, which includes costs related to hosting US military bases, surpasses the previous record of 8.7 trillion yen allocated in the initial budget for the current fiscal year ending in March 2026, News.Az reports, citing Japanese media.
Fiscal 2026 will mark the fourth year of Japan’s five-year defense buildup plan totaling 43 trillion yen.
On the same day, the Cabinet of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi approved a draft initial state budget of 122.3 trillion yen for the fiscal year beginning next April, also the largest on record, covering defense and other government spending.
Under the proposed defense budget, 100.1 billion yen has been allocated to develop the “Shield” layered coastal defense system, which will rely on a wide range of aerial, surface and underwater vehicles. The investment comes as countries worldwide accelerate drone development following lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war.
With China in focus, 1.1 billion yen has been earmarked to study the deployment of long-endurance drones to counter airspace violations. Japan also plans to rename the Air Self-Defense Force as the Air and Space Self-Defense Force to strengthen its space-related capabilities, with an additional 1.1 billion yen allocated for equipment to monitor satellite interference.
The budget also includes 30.1 billion yen for the procurement of hypersonic guided missiles, which travel at more than five times the speed of sound and are considered difficult to intercept, enhancing Japan’s counterattack capabilities.
Separately, a supplementary budget of 18.3 trillion yen enacted on December 16 for the current fiscal year included 1.7 trillion yen for security and diplomacy. This will allow Japan to raise defense-related spending to its target of 2 percent of gross domestic product by fiscal 2025, two years earlier than originally planned.
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