Latest news with #YoshimasaHayashi
Yomiuri Shimbun
3 days ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan Braces for U.S. Demands of Additional Defense Spending Increases; Govt to Monitor Outcomes for NATO Members
The government is bracing for the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to demand that Japan significantly boost its defense spending, in the wake of NATO members agreeing to do so at a recent summit. Concerned that such an increase would require huge outlays and spark public backlash, the government intends to emphasize to the United States that Japan is already proactively making efforts to strengthen its defense capabilities. It plans to begin fully considering this matter, including details such as the size of future defense budgets and where funding for such expenditures could come from, after next month's House of Councillors election. At a press conference Thursday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said the government was 'closely observing' the outcomes of the NATO decision, which he described as a 'significant move.' However, Hayashi added, 'The substance of defense capabilities is what's important, not the amount spent.' NATO member states agreed to raise their defense spending target to 5% of gross domestic product, a major increase from the previous benchmark of 2%. Based on the Defense Buildup Program and other policies, Japan's government aims to increase security-related expenditure to an amount equivalent to 2% of the fiscal 2022 GDP in fiscal 2027. In addition to the conventional defense budget, this figure would also include costs for expenditures in four key related fields such as building public infrastructure and cybersecurity. Japan's security-related spending has been steadily growing and reached about 1.8% in fiscal 2025. The government has been busily working behind the scenes to steer the United States away from issuing an explicit demand for greater defense spending since Trump returned to the White House in January. 'If the government decided to expand this spending further due to pressure from the United States, public opinion would be critical,' a senior Foreign Ministry official told The Yomiuri Shimbun. The government has repeatedly explained to Washington that progress is being made toward achieving the 2% target and sought its understanding on this approach. Given the new target rolled out by NATO members, a senior government official said, 'There's no doubt the United States will step up its demands.' In a statement issued on June 20, ahead of the NATO summit meeting, the U.S. Defense Department said U.S. allies in Asia, including Japan, should also aim to increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP. Some observers believe Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba decided to skip the NATO summit to avoid having any demands thrust directly at him by the United States. Discussions on the formulation of the next Defense Buildup Program are ongoing among expert panels at the Defense Ministry. There is a widespread view within the ministry that increased spending will be inevitable given the severe security environment surrounding Japan. There is support within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party for settling this issue before the current program expires in fiscal 2027. 'A review ahead of schedule also must be considered,' former Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said. The cabinet of then Prime Minister Fumio Kishida decided to increase income taxes to generate the financial resources required to achieve the 2% target. However, the timing of the tax hike has yet to be determined. Accordingly, securing funds needed to accommodate any further increase in security-related spending will not be easy.
3 days ago
- Politics
Japan Calls for Abductees' Immediate Return at U.N. Symposium
News from Japan Jun 27, 2025 10:31 (JST) New York, June 26 (Jiji Press)--Japan called for an immediate return home of all Japanese citizens abducted to North Korea at an online U.N. symposium on Thursday. "We can't waste any time," Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japanese minister in charge of the abduction issue, said in a keynote speech as families of abductees have been aging. Takuya Yokota, the younger brother of Megumi, who was kidnapped to North Korea in 1977 when she was 13 years old, urged Pyongyang to release all abductees immediately. "We hope that a bold decision will be made so that (Japan and North Korea) can draw a bright future," said Takuya, head of the Japanese Association of Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea. Only Sakie Yokota, the 89-year-old mother of Megumi, is alive among the parents of Japanese abductees. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
4 days ago
- Business
Sense of Burden behind Calls to Scrap MOF: Govt Spokesman
News from Japan Politics Jun 26, 2025 21:36 (JST) Tokyo, June 26 (Jiji Press)--An increasing sense of being burdened in daily life appears to be a factor behind demonstrations in Japan demanding that the Ministry of Finance be scrapped, a top government spokesman said Thursday. At a press conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi pointed to rising prices, especially for food, that are outpacing wage growth. Hayashi stressed the importance of maintaining essential public services such as social security, education and national defense. "We want to clearly explain the importance of balancing economic recovery with fiscal soundness, basing our discussions on solid data," he said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
The Independent
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Watch: Japan launches first missile test on home soil
Japan test-fired a missile on its own soil for the first time Wednesday (25 June), marking a significant step in its military expansion aimed at deterring regional threats, including China. The Ground Self-Defense Force launched a Type 88 surface-to-ship missile from Hokkaido's Shizunai Anti-Air Firing Range, targeting an uncrewed vessel 40 kilometers offshore. Officials confirmed the test's success and plan another by Sunday. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi stressed the drill's purpose was to enhance personnel skills, not target any nation.
The Star
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Japan conducts first domestic surface-to-ship missile test
The Japan Ground Self-Defence Force fired a single Type-88 missile towards Pacific coastal waters from a training ground in the northern island of Hokkaido on June 24. - AFP TOKYO: Japan on Wednesday (June 25) called its first surface-to-ship missile test within its territory necessary training given the current "severe security environment", as it boosts military capacity to counter China. The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) fired a single "Type-88" missile towards Pacific coastal waters from a training ground in the northern island of Hokkaido on Tuesday. The Japanese military usually conducts its surface-to-ship missile drills at bases in the United States, but those training sessions are costly with the number of personnel who can participate often limited. "Domestic live-fire exercises like this one provide training opportunities for more troops," top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told a regular press conference Wednesday. Such drills are "extremely important for us to maintain and improve the capability to defend islands and other areas, given the current severe security environment", he said. He stressed that the exercise was not aimed at any specific nation, but Japan has previously called neighbouring China its greatest security challenge as Beijing builds up military capacity in the region. The relative weakness of the Japanese yen has also inflated the cost of using American facilities for training, Japanese media reports said. Japan is in a multi-year process of increasing its defence spending to the Nato standard of roughly two per cent of gross domestic product (GDP). It is also bolstering its military alliance with Washington, moving to make US and Japanese forces more nimble in response to threats such as a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. - AFP
