JAPAN’S DEFENSE BUDGET HITS NEW RECORD, SIGNALS NEW FORM OF MILITARISM

BEIJING, AUGUST 11 /SRNA/ - Japan’s defense budget for next year could reach a record 10 trillion yen, further revealing the ambitions of Japanese politicians to circumvent the restrictions imposed by the country’s pacifist constitution and revive a “new form of militarism,” the China Media Group reported.

Japan’s Ministry of Defense plans to request as much as 8.9 trillion yen for the defense budget for fiscal 2027, a new all-time record. Since the defense budget contains many items without specified amounts, the final figure could reach 10 trillion yen.

In recent years, Japan’s defense budget has been rising rapidly, driven by the strengthening of right-wing forces. If the defense budget for fiscal 2027 is approved, it will mark the 15th consecutive year of growth.


HUGE BUDGET IS NOT INTENDED FOR PASSIVE DEFENSE

According to Japanese media reports, such a huge budget allocation will focus on three main areas. The first involves equipping the country with interceptor drones and creating an air defense network using powerful lasers and microwave technology.

Additional funds will be allocated to introducing artificial intelligence into the command system of the Self-Defense Forces, using big data analysis to enable faster decision-making. The third area involves the further deployment of long-range missiles capable of "striking enemy bases."

In addition, Japan’s Ministry of Defense will establish a new international policy division responsible for external defense cooperation, while the creation of an independent administrative body to promote defense equipment exports is also under consideration.

It is obvious that this huge budget is not intended for "passive defense", but sends a dangerous signal about a shift towards active offensive capabilities and a comprehensive expansion of offensive weapons. This shows that Japan has completely crossed the line of "defensive defense" established by its pacifist constitution and is rapidly turning into a "country capable of waging war."

The article warns that Japan’s "new militarism" is ready for action, gambling with the future of more than 100 million Japanese people and posing a serious threat to regional peace and stability.

In recent days, major Japanese media outlets, such as The Mainichi Shimbun, have published articles criticising the dramatic increase in the defense budget, pointing out that it has broken through the barriers of Japan’s post-war defense policy.

The alleged capability to strike enemy bases is essentially an offensive military capability that will fuel regional security tensions and trigger an arms race in East Asia.

At the same time, large numbers of Japanese citizens are protesting against the government of Sanae Takaichi’s dangerous course of military expansion and constitutional revision.

The government should not act against the will of the people - the Sanae Takaichi government should listen to the voice of the public, avoid repeating mistakes in its assessment of historical developments, and not betray the desire for peace.

NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES CONTINUE TO CONDEMN

As for the dangerous moves by the Japanese government, neighbouring countries continue to condemn them. Since the beginning of this year, China has tightened controls on exports of dual-use goods to Japan, placing dozens of Japanese military-industrial entities on export control and watch lists, to curb Japan’s efforts to remilitarise and its aspirations to acquire nuclear weapons.

Russia has criticised Japan for accelerating its remilitarisation, saying that this is undermining the regional and global security situation.

North Korea has warned that if Japan acquires the capability to launch pre-emptive strikes, people could once again experience tragedy and catastrophe, and said that Japan must not be allowed to become a military power.

The recent commemoration of the 81st anniversaries of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, on August 6 and 9 respectively, also serves as a warning to the Japanese government that, if it ignores the lessons of history, persists in pursuing military expansion and disregards the concerns of its neighbours, today’s massive defense spending will once again drag Japan into the abyss.