Japan's Budget Requests Soar Past $818 Billion

Japan's government ministries and agencies have submitted budget requests for fiscal 2027 that are expected to exceed 130 trillion yen, a record high. This is an increase from the current fiscal year's initial budget of 122.31 trillion yen, according to Kyodo News.

The Ministry of Defense plans to seek a record 8.9 trillion yen, with key spending areas including interceptor drones, artificial intelligence in command-and-control systems, and long-range missiles with counterstrike capabilities.

Expenditures on social security are expected to rise by around 390 billion yen due to Japan's aging population.