Key facts
- The proposed five-year total of 70 trillion to 80 trillion yen is about 1.8 times the roughly 43 trillion yen in the current plan, the report said.
- One source said the spending is expected to fund purchases such as large numbers of drones.
- The same source said a weaker yen has pushed up the cost of procuring defense equipment.
- A second source said the final figure could land in the mid-to-late 70 trillion yen range and was subject to debate with coalition partners.
- Japan's defense ministry said it had no comment at this point, according to the report.
- The current buildup program, formulated at the end of 2022, raised planned spending from an initial 27.5 trillion yen, focusing on long-range missiles, ammunition and spare parts.
Japan's government and ruling coalition are considering nearly doubling defense 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, in a report dated November 2, 2026.
If adopted, defense buildup spending for the five years from April 2027 would be set at 70 trillion to 80 trillion yen, or $457 billion to $508 billion, up about 1.8 times from the roughly 43 trillion yen allocated under the current five-year plan, which began in fiscal 2023.
The figure could still change as the government compiles the budget toward the year-end and revises its three security-related documents. Japan's defense ministry said it had no comment at this point.
One source said the new spending is expected to fund purchases such as large numbers of drones, and that a weaker yen has pushed up the cost of procuring defense equipment. The second source said the final figure could land in the mid-to-late 70 trillion yen range, but questioned whether such a sum would be enough given the security environment in East Asia, adding the final figure was subject to debate between the government and coalition partners.
Under the current buildup program formulated at the end of 2022, Japan sharply raised its planned defense spending from an initial allocation of 27.5 trillion yen, with a focus on long-range missiles intended for counterstrike capabilities, as well as ammunition and spare parts for military equipment.