Japanese F-15 fighters hold a joint military drill with a U.S. B-52 bomber over the Sea of Japan on Dec. 10, 2025. Joint Staff Office of the Defense Ministry of Japan/Handout via Reuters
Japan’s cabinet on Dec. 26 approved a record $784 billion budget for the next fiscal year that includes all-time-high defense spending, underscoring Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s push to accelerate military expansion amid rising regional tensions with China.
The draft budget for the fiscal year beginning in April, which still requires parliamentary approval, sets defense outlays at about $64 billion, the largest in Japan’s history.
