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© Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Kishida says Japan urgently needs to strengthen its military
By MARI YAMAGUCHI TOKYO©2025 GPlusMedia Inc.
101 Comments
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Zizi
No no no Kishida-san.
Desert Tortoise
Don't worry Mr. Kishida. It won't be too long before your counterpart in the UK Mr. Sunak, will have a couple of recently built big deck aircraft carriers for sale. I'm sure Japanese shipyards are more than capable of remedying their several engineering flaws and incorporating something that resembles a self defense armament, a little detail the Brits so far have neglected.
obladi
first Japan needs to build a military
TokyoLiving
Please Japan, don't fall in the western dirty trap..
Stop being colony !!..
Mr Kipling
Correction.....
US says Japan must spend more on it's military hardware.
sakurasuki
Japan urgently needs to strengthen its Yen.
Alan Bogglesworth
Need young people for that
Cricky
Urgently needs to strengthen its military? Urgently needs to upgrade tax payers level of life happiness first then worry about the military. Why spend money people don’t have to defend a country that is living in near poverty.
Sven Asai
Yes, agreed, because the international situation becomes more unstable and aggressive and all resources become more and more limited. But also agreed with the comments here, that it needs beforehand a better economy, skilled military and more young people. In so far it’s still only a paper theory and also probably remains one, doesn’t it?
Chibakun
I feel uneasy about Japan re-arming itself.
Sanjinosebleed
Interesting to see who and who isn't wearing masks...
kurisupisu
How can Kishida ever be trusted?
Kishida no-mask is on deck happily getting into close contact with loads of foreigners.
The US military was responsible for a major wave of infections in Okinawa so I question why Kishida is so blasé about not wearing a mask.
How is that his interpreter is masked but he isn’t?
On Monday he will be in the Diet all masked up and showing his duplicitous nature, once again.
dbsaiya
The Senkakus were not an issue and there was peaceful co-existence in that area with China until that LDP Ishihara opened his mouth and spewed out that Tokyo was going to buy the islands. Japan should work on its diplomacy as well and not rely solely on military hardware. Besides, as someone has already posted, you need young people to man your war toys, and Japan has less and less to draw from every year.
Sh1mon M4sada
I'm sorry Mr Kishida but 2014, when Crimea was annexed was the year Japan should have started strengthening its defense capability. This is the year the USA (Obama) ignore China installing military installations in the SCS on illegal man made land (illegal claim, illegal process for building on maritime domain). the optics changed in 2014.
Your country had an aggressive country (Russia) as neighbour with a current island dispute, that had just made an actual pivot to military action, another aggressive country (China) that started surrounding Japan with military installation, and your country was listening to the most inept president in US history, telling you to adopt 'diplomacy'. Look where that got Japan, and the world. Let's not talk about NK being confirmed as a nuke power (actual warhead) in 2016 either.
2022 is too late, let's hope it's not too little.
dan
Japan- We need to switch to EV ! But we have almost no charging points and not enough energy to support all EV cars on the road.
We need to go green but we rely on fossil fuels too much ...let's just restart the aging nuclear reactors and keep importing expensive oil.
We need to urgently spend on our military.
But we have no army or young people who are interested.
We need more babies !
But we let young people survive on low paid short contracts and don't invest in families.
All these useless politicians!!!!!
smithinjapan
Tears in heaven. (Some Eric Clapton fans might know the reference).
smithinjapan
Oops. I had copied and intended to post my comment because once again I was logged out and had to log back in again to comment, but for whatever reason it didn't copy properly.
Anyway, I asked, defend what? If Japan continues to spend all its money on the military while taxing people to do, what will be left and worth defending?
Zizi
I don't see the UK constantly winding up the nations around it, though. Maybe there's no need for remedying.
Or maybe there is. Japan seems to like picking fights and have others defend it, so UK will definitely have to do that.
Cricky
I do think the PM needs a few more badges on his jacket, a Medal or two. Something shinny. And where is his wife? I do appreciate she is so far ( not yet ) funding right wing preschools. He seems lonely. Is his son there? Can he be more abnormal?
Hideomi Kuze
Knowing that North Korea will launch missiles, US, South Korea and Japan repeat military drills, North Korea actually launches missiles, LDP government uses it as pretext to increase military budget, it is like farce.
Since 2013, LDP government had increased military budget but its consequence is present arms race situation.
Japan's large corporations internal reserves or tax revenue are biggest ever, but LDP government never use it, try to burden military cost with general public who suffer from poverty despite increase of needy person.
LDP government who prioritize arms race than defending citizen from difficulties is similar to North Korea regime.
noriahojanen
Review and start with defense. More public shelters are needed hosting mass evacuation, and key infrastructure should be missile/drone-proofed.
Japan has only 48 PAC3 across the country while Taiwan, whose landmass is one tenth of Japan, has already 72 units installed.
Mark
Yes Sir, Japan has every right to be armed to the teeth considering what it's up against. Japan must be able to deter, defend, and if needed attack all threats.
noriahojanen
Then Tokyo governor Ishihara had for a long time left the LDP. The Senkaku Islands were nationalized not by the LDP but by then ruling Democrats.
In the Beningging
History repeats itself
now.. the way how blinded Kishida-san on US schemes, if things go south and if he will follow Zelenskyy's emotion based decisions...
brace for impact. new cities will be written in books
SDCA
Why is it that we cannot vote on propositions like these? Let the public decide if military spending is more important than their overall quality of life.
In the Beningging
Japan has no nuclear capabilities. also military strength to be able to stand in front against Russia and NK. it will takes years or decades to be able to to that.
unless they will buy US equipment or agreed to be their puppet and battleground. outcome will be unthinkable.
u_s__reamer
Here we go again! History repeats itself (as farce)?
Aly Rustom
exactly!
Exactly!
That's 3 in a row!!
Samit Basu
@Mr Kipling
Well, it's not like Japan has a choice unlike Europeans who are shopping Korean over American weapons.
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/01/europe-south-korea-weapons-00064427
Redtail Swift
Do you know where your local recruitment office is? Better yet, have you ever seen one?
Do they visit high schools? Where is your Top Gun military promotion movie?
I don't think Japan's youth wants to join. When Japanese are not protesting America's military presence in Japan, they are at home enjoying winter nabe and taking pictures for Instagram.
*Where's Colonel Nathan R. Jessup when you need him?
I don't think parents want their children to join the military either. These kids today are soft and that's very intentional.
*See Dan's post up above. He called out pretty much everything that Japan is doing wrong in regard to this article.
Peter Neil
The Captain on the left looks like he’s ready to throw a punch.
OssanAmerica
Total CCP propaganda. The J-govt already owned one of the five islands. The j-govt buying 2 more, from their Japanese owners was no reason for China to get their panties in a knot. It was simply used as an excuse for them to go openly aggressive on these islands. Stealing territory is an autocratic characteristic.
gaijintraveller
Samit Basu, you have a good point there. Is it possible Japan is looking to the future, looking towards the possiblility of changing or reinterpreting its constitution so that it can become an arms exporting nation? Is it possible that Keidanren is pressuring the LDP so that they can find a new market, a market for expensive weaponry?
WA4TKG
He’s right, unless you all want to start learning another language, and get banned from speaking Japanese.
Tell_me_bout_it
War looks imminent.
KevinMcgue
But Japan doesn't have a "military".
REDWhiteBlue
Not in the era of drones and AI.
Why? When the benefits of weak yen outweigh the negatives.
There were US bases in Vietnam and Afghanistan. Look what happened.
Three strikes and you are out!
REDWhiteBlue
Well said. Just like every other country.
REDWhiteBlue
Do you know how hard it is to build a ship let alone an Aircraft Carrier?
MilesTeg
Japan already pays the US under SOFA for its military presence. Is more military spending really needed.
SarcasmOnly
Exactly.
It's all about the money sadly.
quercetum
Unfortunately this industry in the US has control in the government and its politicians have vested interests. They will always need to create conflicts. Vietnam 0-1, Xinjiang Uighurs 0-2. Tibet 0-3. Hong Kong 0-4. Taiwan 0-5. These are only the ones related to China. They have a great record in the Middle East and other parts of the world.
Exporting military hardware does not solve the problems in the US but only profits one sector.
The best way that the US can maintain its role as a global power is to forget about trying to defeat China and focus on fixing the US. China is doing well because China is more worried about fixing China than defeating the US.
Kabukilover
Kishida's so-called urgency to increase military spend is mindless and is the very thing that could get Japan into an unwanted and unconstitutional conflict. I would urge Mr. Kishida to take a valium and trust the Japanese war renouncing Constitution.
Arms buildups encourage more arms buildups and that is how wars begin.
China and North Korea saber-rattle but remain cautious. The U.S. is cautious as well. Japan's Article 9 of the Constitution has kept the nation away from armed conflicts since WWII. Kishida's less than intelligent leadership could cause serious trouble.
Yrral
Japan only has 6 to 8 minutes that a missile from NK could impact me Japan ,the shortest Uam Ri, at 666 miles and farthest near Pyongyang at 800 miles,North Korea missile travel 100 miles a minute on average Google Uam Ri to Pyongyang Distance
quercetum
You are the in-residence expert here DT. How many missiles can an air craft carrier store in its compartments? Plus all the missiles in all the jets on deck and chaperoning submarines and destroyers, 500-1000? Whatever the number is, it can't be more than what China has on its coasts. What happens when air carriers are out of missiles? Are they sitting ducks?
Peter14
Kishida is absolutely correct. Japan is surrounded by unfriendly nations and all are nuclear armed, two have powerful militaries although one of them is being severely degraded by the invasion of Ukraine.
All those saying no Kishida, spend money elsewhere Kishida, blah blah are all pro China and they say NOTHING about China's continued buildup and military expansion. They want Japan to be subservient to China, perhaps even run by China in the near future. Until they start posting that China should look to spending on its people and not it's military, then just ignore them as agitators for Chinese power over everyone.
Japan loves having the freedom to do as they wish, when they wish, and not be thrown in a camp or prison for speaking their mind. The Chinese CCP way is not for Japan or anyone in the world. To maintain freedom has costs of a good defense and deterrent. Being weak is an open invitation for anyone wanting to build an empire to walk all over you and your freedoms. Jinping is such a individual who misguidedly thinks he has a destiny. Just as Hitler thought. Just as Putin thinks. All who are like that bring death and pain.
Japan needs to speed up its military buildup to at least keep pace with China enough to be able to deter it from doing anything silly, like building on the Senkaku islands or something even worse.
So well done Mr Kishida. Yes, yes, yes!
Udondashi
Start breaking coalition with Komeito
Build your atomic bomb, never trust in the United States they will leave japan in the blink an eye when they realize defending Japan is no longer advantageous to United States, Remember Afghanistan
wallace
Udondashi
It was the Komeito that prevent PM Abe from changing Article 9. It was the Komeito that persuaded the LDP to give out covid relief money. Komeito opposes any increase in the military.
Udondashi
Japan is screwed.. there are hundreds of spies infiltrated among politicians and bureaucrats and also in the mass media.
The United States deboned Japan in such a way that Japan could not take care of itself.
egads man!
What's the point if there aren't enough personnel to man new warships?
Samit Basu
@gaijintraveller
Japan has been trying to export arms for a decade without success. The sole exception is a $200 million radar sale to the Philippines, made possible by an extremely favorable loan package. The article 9 doesn't prohibit Japan from exporting weapons. For example, Japan lost yet another weapons export contest, in Australia this time.
https://www.airdatanews.com/australia-to-order-new-c-130js-discarding-kc-390-a400m-and-c-2/
Joe Blow
This! Nothing sadder than a China shill.
Aly Rustom
Yes you do. The soldier is the backbone of the army. Plus who do you think is going to control the drones and AI. Not the old people
Because the prices are rising but wages are not and the people are hurting.
For who? The 1% who are CEOs and company bosses who make money through exports? Sure. For the 99%, a big fat NO.
What happened?
Yes Redwhiteblue. You are.
venze
Kishida says Japan urgently needs to strengthen its military:
He is simply repeating what his predecessors had said many times before.
Naturally, he has to emphasize that this time it is much more urgent to beef up the military, notably the navy.
All sorts of fraud/imaginative excuses..
Samit Basu
So Australia just said no to both Soryu and C-2. Does that mean Australia is biased and buy only American/European weapons? No, Australia has no problem spending tens of billions on Korean weapons. Why? Because Korean weapons performed better than German weapons that it was tested against German rivals in both Australia and Norway. Poland was smart to go Korean without going through exhaustive comparative testing that Australia and Norway went through. So if a weapon is the best in the class, it will sell regardless of origin.
https://breakingdefense.com/2022/10/aussie-infantry-fighting-vehicle-armys-biggest-ever-contract-faces-government-delays/
Raw Beer
No! Kishida, don't go down this path.
Peter14
YrralToday 10:41 am JST
So you must support Japan having the ability to deter such actions by having enough long range conventional missiles to strike back hard. How long for a missile from Japan to hit Pyongyang, Six to eight minutes? Maybe Japan has faster missiles and the time is even less than that from NK. Get designing and building Japan. Kishida is on the correct path of deterrence and not subservience.
rcch
Japan is “ a pitbull on a leash “; so much potential being wasted; extremely “ mottainai “; Article 9 needs to go asap (!)
Peter14
Samit BasuToday 11:56 am JST
Australian military wanted the PzH 2000 as it performed better during extensive trials and was preferred by testing crews, but the Government went for the cheaper K9 as it could be built under license in Australia.
The Japanese C-2 was never considered by Australia who has sufficient heavy lift capacity in the C-17 Globemaster aircraft. It flew at an Australian air show and was offered to New Zealand who decided on the Super Hercules C-130J-30 instead.
Australia will buy from any allied or friendly nation as long as it's requirements are met. It will sometimes choose the best available and sometime it seems cost IS an issue and they settle for second best in order to tick more boxes requirement wise.
Midnight Sun Tribe
There is some intriguing aspect to the reality that the Japan, formerly belligerent and in possession of the most powerful and effective military in Asia, must once again develop an overwhelming powerful military if only to fend off the unmitigated and dangerously capricious militarism of Putin, the CCP, and North Korea.
Sh1mon M4sada
Just look at Ukraine....
Sh1mon M4sada
eh? China doing well? China is the worse example of misdirected resource allocation on this planet. It is constantly trying to one up USA, and USA only. It spends billions upon billions to develop aviation, aerospace, chips etc. just to stay politically competitive. The money it spent on the C919 single aisle jet is enough to buy and maintain an entire airline until a similar Airbus/Boeing jet is obsolete and replaced with electric propulsion substitute. This is exactly what happened to the Soviet Union, trying to compete with Nasa sent the entire USSR broke.
Sh1mon M4sada
...and the only way to deter war from reach your shore is to muscle up. Deterrence has been the ONLY strategy that has consistently worked to maintain peace. The minute you listen to 'do what I say, but not what I do' people, like Ukraine did in giving up its nuke, you are inviting an invasion.
Aly Rustom
because most old people here in Japan still use hanko and fax machines. The idea that they can learn to command drones and understand AI is laughable. Es
Japan is not Ukraine nor Israel. I'll bet their ministers of Cybersecurity know how to use a computer....
Inflation is up 3%. Prices are up much more than that. Basic economics.
That's BS. The majority of the people were NOT doing fine even BEFORE this inflation.
Trickle down economics do not work. That MYTH has been busted years ago.
To who? by who?
Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm just getting warmed up
Mirchy
If I could choose a profession again, I would be an arms dealer..
voiceofokinawa
True to PM Fumio Kishida's vow, Japan's defense budget will be doubled in the near future from the current 5 tillion yen to 10 trillion yen.
I wonder how Kishida will coordinate the increase of the military budget with the provisions of the war-renouncing constitution.
Article 9 of which says:
(1) Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.
(2) In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.
There are two options: either scrapping the constitution or retaining it. I am for the second option. Article 9 is a gem that must not be discarded nonchalantly. It's a precious cultural heritage the humankind has created. Has Japan ever tried to sell its spirit abroad?
Samit Basu
@Peter14
The C-2 competed in a C-130J replacement contest.
Australia decided to replace C-130J with C-130J-30, however.
Aly Rustom
I agree 100%
Udondashi
At the end of the day Prime Minister Emanuelle, oops, Kishida.... he will have convinced to buy more overpriced weapons from the Big Boss.
Peter14
There is nothing to support Australia ever considered purchasing the C-2.
Nothing can be found regarding your assertion, not even on the C-2 page.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawasaki_C-2
voiceofokinawa
Correction and expansion of the last sentence in my post above:
Has Japan ever tried to sell its spirit abroad and, at the same time, lived up to it faithfully itself?
yokohamarides
US military industrial complex says “KA - CHING!”.
1glenn
In order to secure peace, one has to be prepared for war.
1glenn
It occurs to me that this is the time for Japan to take back its Sakhalin territories. Russia has stripped its eastern forces of its best troops for the invasion of Ukraine, and is reduced to Paper Tiger status. Japan could just show up, land some troops, and declare the territories liberated. Putin is powerless to stop Japan at this point.
kurisupisu
Lobbing a few cruise missiles at China or North Korea would lead to a nuclear war!
Neither China nor North Korea have forgotten past Japanese militarism.
Kishida is a fool to ally with the US that has no problem conducting long distance wars….
Pukey2
Now, let's rephrase this so we don't have to beat around the bush:
Peter14
Why? Have missile launches ever initiated a nuclear conflict before? Why would conventional weapons ever illicit a nuclear reply? Or is it just for Japan but any other nation that does it would get a conventional weapon reply? There is no rationale for your wild assumption.
Hardly. If your attacked there is no better nation more prepared with all the equipment to come to your aid. Caving in to Chinese and Russian demands and expectations is a losing scenario. That is why Japan opposes them when it is in Japan's interest to do so.
Sh1mon M4sada
Neither China nor North Korea have forgotten past Japanese militarism.
...this^ somehow ignores the fact Japan has 3 nuclear states surrounding it, and USA is the only nuclear power that Japan can ally with.
...this^ makes it all the more necessary to have defense capability that can deter, with or without an ally.
Japan suffered an energy embargo imposed by a state from across the Pacific, which lead to all out war. Do you not think 3 nuclear states in Japan's backyard can inflict more damage?
ning1983
I think the unification Church and Japanese politicians pose a much greater threat and harm to the Japanese people than the ccp.
ReasonandWisdomNippon
Military spending increase is necessary and long overdue by a decade at least!
We're literally dealing with a major power, armed with thousands of Nukes, attacking and invading another country called Ukraine. Not a dream but a reality!
China talks about Taiwan and reunification by force, on a yearly basis.
North Korea already tried reunification by force and almost succeeded in the 50s, still a dream and the biggest achievement for the Kim family if successful in the future.
Japan is not the only country increasing it's military budget, South Korea has been doing it for decades with no shame or regrets!
A weak Japan only benefits our enemies. Same people asking to drink the water from Fukushima or to never turn on your lights unless it's from solar or wind generated.
1glenn
No one wants war, but not being prepared to defend one's self is insanity.
As for taking back the Sakhalin territories, there will never be a better time to do it.,
Desert Tortoise
Japan builds all of its warships and the great majority of the weapons and sensors they carry. About the only expensive things Japan buys from the US for its combat ships are the radars and combat management systems on its largest Aegis equipped destroyers and the Standard Missiles they shoot. The guns, torpedoes, other radars and sonars along with the whole ship are all made in the Japan. The SH-60 helicopters they carry are made in Japan. Nearly all the JGSDFs vehicles and artillery are made in Japan, including all of their main battle tanks. Most of their personal weapons are made in Japan. All of Japan's current fighter aircraft except the F-35 were made in Japan. Japan builds its own big maritime patrol plane, the Kawasaki P-1 that is very different from the US Navy's P-8. Most if not all the GDSDFs helicopters are likewise made in Japan. Very little of Japan's defense budget is spent on US made weapons or sensors. The great majority is locally produced.
Desert Tortoise
In all likelihood no. Nobody expects a nuclear power like Russia or China to initiate a war using nuclear weapons from the outset. Like the invasion of Ukraine, the invasion would be conducted with conventional forces but there would be the threat that if they start to lose they could employ nuclear weapons to turn the tide in their favor. Ukraine has used lots of conventional missiles along with drone strikes and air strikes on Russian targets without drawing a nuclear response from Russia.
But what happens if an ally of the nation being invaded, say the US, is able to knock out the invaders nuclear arsenal, or degrade it to the point of being ineffective using only conventional ordnance? Imagine a situation where China invades Taiwan, or earlier a Soviet invasion of Germany which is the origin of this idea. First off, there is no way China can assemble a large enough force to do so without the build up being detected. The US and its allies will know there is an invasion coming and be prepared, unlike the NATO scenario where the Soviets basically had an invasion force ready to go on the German border all the time. But what happens if, as this invasion unfolds, the US and other allies deliberately target China's nuclear arsenal using conventional weapons delivered from low observable aircraft and stealthy cruise missiles? This is within the realm of possibility and has been so since the F-117 and B-2 came into service. Indeed that was their reason for being. With the ability to operate freely over the USSR, or today Russia or China, aircraft like the F-117, its successor the F-35, the B-2 and it's successor the new B-21, could roam over an enemies airspace and take out their silos using precision guided munitions with hard target penetrator warheads. What would an enemy do faced with being slowed or even pushed back on the ground while they are rapidly stripped of their strategic nuclear weapons? And obtw the US and allied subs are going to make sinking their SSBNs a very high priority, followed by the rest of their nuclear subs. If their nuclear arsenal can be swiftly reduced the US and it's allies could be in a position to basically use the threat of nuclear retaliation to force a Chinese withdrawal knowing China had lost so much of its own arsenal it could not mount a retaliatory strike with any prospect of succeeding.
Samit Basu
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeremybogaisky/2022/11/07/south-korea-has-quietly-become-one-of-the-worlds-biggest-weapons-suppliers/
Dirk T
Japan is preparing for the CCP invasion of Taiwan, a war that will be devastating to the Japanese. Yet, the gaijin chorus screams "no" in. unison from their bubble of comfort.
Dirk T
Japan has been diligently working on again becoming a military powerhouse for a long, long time. Recent geopolitical events are only going to accelerate the process.
1glenn
The time to build up one's military preparedness is preferably before an invasion. Just ask Ukraine.
Kabukilover
Tell you what. When you are just asking Ukraine, 1glenn, just ask Taiwan. Taiwan is technically not a U.S. protectorate. China claims that Taiwan is a part of the People's Republic of China. China has vowed to "reclaim" Taiwan. But Taiwan is still free. Analogies only go so far, and many are fallacious. As is the "Just ask Ukraine" analogies.
The Suda desire for an arms buildup is as much an internal political issue as anything else. Suda and the LDP are trying to reverse Japan's lost cause when the peace Constitution replaced the disastrous Military state. The LDP of Suda and company are trying to roll time back to a time of presumed military glory.
When you are considering Ukraine remember Pearl Harbor, which was that beginning of the end of Japan's military state.
OssanAmerica
Japan's military state started in the 1920s and grew during the 1930s. Pearl Harbor in 1941 was only the beginning of the war against the West. Nobody in Japan is trying to roll back to a military state, they've already been there and done that, and prefer democracy. Unfortunately for them, Russia's actions, China and NK's threats make an arms buildup necessary to protect themselves
It's too bad that China doesn't quite understand this, prefering to justify military and territorial expansion by claiming to seek to regain "China's past glory".
Taiwan has never been under control of the CCP. Which makes the claim of "reunification" ridiculous.
Paul14
What happened to the new capitalism? Payrises for all? Tax cuts for the many? This guy is all hot air.
Dirk T
@OssanAmerica - a democracy isn't incompatible with being a military powerhouse, which Japan already is.
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