New Japan PM Takaichi Mulls Early Review of Nation’s Defense Spending

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:54 JST, October 22, 2025

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Tuesday that she plans to instruct her administration to move up the revision of the nation’s Defense Buildup Program and two other key security documents which were formulated in December 2022.

Based on the documents, the government aims to increase security-related expenditures to an amount equivalent to 2% of the fiscal 2022 GDP in fiscal 2027. But the newly-elected prime minister is likely thinking of further increasing the amount.

“I want to give an instruction to begin reviewing the documents,” Takaichi said at a press conference.

The United States has been urging Japan to increase its defense spending, and Takaichi is expected to inform U.S. President Donald Trump of the revision plan during their meeting on Oct. 28. The current Defense Buildup Program covers the five years from fiscal 2023 to fiscal 2027. The period from fiscal 2028 and later was to be covered in the next revision.