Under the current defence buildup programme formulated at the end of 2022, Japan increased its planned defence spending from an initial allocation of ¥27.5 trillion. (AFP pic)TOKYO: Japan's government and ruling coalition are considering nearly doubling defence spending over the next five years as part of prime minister Sanae Takaichi's push to strengthen the country's military capabilities, according to two people familiar with the matter.
If adopted, defence buildup spending for the five years from April 2027 would be set at ¥70 trillion to ¥80 trillion (US$457 billion to US$508 billion), up about 1.8 times from the roughly ¥43 trillion allocated under the current five-year plan, which began in fiscal 2023.
