Shinjiro Koizumi
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Friday that Japan's initial budget for defense spending and related costs in fiscal 2026 totals about 10.6 trillion yen ($66.5 billion), roughly 1.9 percent of its 2022 gross domestic product or around 1.5 percent using projected fiscal 2026 GDP. Japan aims to raise spending to 2 percent of GDP by fiscal 2027.
Reported by AI
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced that Japan will launch a new office in the Defense Ministry next month to bolster defenses in the Pacific. The office aims to address challenges in protecting Japan's vulnerable eastern flank.