Japan Sees 'Urgent' Need to Boost Military

Japan must urgently reinforce its military capabilities with a heightened sense of crisis, according to its defense minister. This call comes as a new government assessment underscores escalating threats from China, North Korea, and Russia in the Asia-Pacific region.

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it was imperative that Japan further reinforce and transform its defense capabilities with a stronger sense of urgency and crisis than ever before.

The nation is already implementing significant defense enhancements. These include boosting military spending, deploying missile launchers to outer islands, pursuing "counter-strike" capabilities, and easing restrictions on weapons exports. The defense minister emphasized the imperative to transform defense capabilities more robustly than ever before.

Heightened security concerns stem from the military buildup and deepening cooperation between China and Russia, as well as Russia and North Korea. The defense white paper notes China's intensifying regional activities, extending beyond the first island chain to the second. Specific incidents in 2025, such as Chinese aircraft carrier operations and close encounters between Chinese and Japanese aircraft, are cited as examples.

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In the Asia-Pacific not only are China and North Korea further strengthening their military capabilities, China-Russia and Russia-North Korea are also reinforcing their cooperation.

Japanese jets scrambled nearly 600 times in the year to March 31, 2026, primarily in response to Chinese and Russian aircraft. While this number decreased from the previous year, the overall security environment necessitates strengthened resilience across the Indo-Pacific. Japan aims to achieve this by building multilayered networks with allies and like-minded nations.

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intensifying its activities

China has voiced alarm over Japan's perceived return to "new militarism." Relations have been strained, particularly following comments made by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi regarding Taiwan. Japan is actively increasing security cooperation with the Philippines, Australia, and South Korea to foster a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific."

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