Lower house OKs ¥6.8 tril budget, including hefty defense spending boost

That's roughly $50 billion which is what has been spent in the past. So it's an increase in spending in Yen but not in US dollars because the Yen has weakened.

I’m trying to think of any developed country that has improved child care and actually reversed a falling birth rate? Anyway it’s not really about childcare per se, it’s really just about getting more women into the work force, so they can generate tax income for a government. Because when the fertility rate was 4 or 3, the government didn’t give two hoots about child care, and women were expected to stay home: now they are basically expected to work(great) AND somehow male politicians think the very same women will have MORE babies. So this is basically all about “MANAGING” falling tax receipts and increasing pension/health costs. . If I was a women I would see the extra childcare as a help, so I can go to work, not an extra reason to have one more child.

Hardly surprising seeing how most of the people just let the LDP do as it pleases, in other countries this would lead to repercussions in the next election, but I guess the quote is still right, "every country has the government it deserves".

Vote LDP, you get LDP. People should not be surprised, this was Abe's plan all along. People will vote for LDP again, wanna bet?

Because kids don’t cost as much as a Tomahawk.

It just feels like they do while you are raising them.

You people are willing to spend money on Ukrainain,but will not protect yourself

You people are willing to spend money on Ukrainain,but will not protect yourself

No.

I’m trying to think of any developed country that has improved child care and actually reversed a falling birth rate?

This is a problem not confined to Japan, and Japan is not the worst in terms of declining total fertility rate. South Korea and Singapore are in far worse shape. Singapore relies on immigrants from China to maintain its population.

It is also a problem that is more complex than the availability and cost of child care during work. Almost every advanced nation faces declining total fertility rates and population decline. Almost across the board as nations grow wealthy their citizens have fewer and fewer children. France seems to be the only outlier in this regard among advanced nations with a total fertility rate right at replacement. France and the French are often the object of ridicule but there seem to be some aspects of French life that might be worth emulating.

Why spend money on helping families in Japan when you can buy weapons from America and put them in warehouses to collect dust for eternity?

Life is too easy in developed countries. Thst is why declining birth rates. Some suffering is in order. Perhaps Biden and his overspending democrats will be successful in their quest for another world wide depression

Good.

Perhaps Biden and his overspending democrats will be successful in their quest for another world wide depression

And then back in the real world:

counties that voted for Joe Biden produced a whopping 71 per cent of America’s GDP. Except for Utah, every red state in America gets more money from the despised federal government than it contributes. The blue states are basically giving the red states allowance.

https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/opinion/2023/02/23/marjorie-taylor-greene-wants-to-live-in-a-new-america-of-just-red-states-the-blue-states-should-join-canada.html

virusrex

Hardly surprising seeing how most of the people just let the LDP do as it pleases, in other countries this would lead to repercussions in the next election...

Advocating for a strong national defence - this is one of the biggest reasons why LDP has been in power. No surprise here.

And unlike kids, Tomahawks go where you tell them to go when you tell them to go there.

So there’s that….

Theres also the part about having a credible defense against an expansionist dictatorship in order for the kids we have now (and the ones to come) to be able to live free and safe within their own borders.

So there’s that too…

another profit for U.S.

Becoming a war like nation. Sad

steal money and future from next generation just to please boss from whitehouse.

naisu neeee?

Kishida told a parliamentary session Monday that Japan will purchase 400 units of Tomahawks.

A very modest amount that would enable conducting about 16 attacks on targets using about 25 missiles per target to ensure some get through any missile defense. I have seen previous US attacks of over 100 in a day targeting about five different targets.

Those here who complain about a stronger defense for Japan are normally those who talk up China or Russia or both, and they just want the weakest possible Japan so that in future it can be more easily dominated if they can somehow manage to remove the US from the equation or neutralize US forces in the region. A strong Japan is another hurdle they must overcome, and one they would rather not have to face.

All nations face the juggling of domestic issues and international ones. Japan is no different with the exception that it is closer to bully despotic nations with nuclear weapons than most nations. China, Russia and North Korea could if they so choose, launch either a nuclear or conventional weapons assault on Japan from within their territories on ICBM's. Japan has no defense and very limited ability to retaliate. By increasing the ability to retaliate in real time with credible conventional means, makes any attack certain of a devastating reply from Japan, which deters any potential attacker. Bullies do not target those who fight back, only those they can cow into submission. You maintain the peace by looking and being strong enough to hit back hard. Better childcare will not deter China or Russia but thousands of tomahawks will.

steal money and future from next generation just to please boss from whitehouse.

That sounds like something the Russian propaganda machine would say.

The improvement of childcare has been neglected for more than 10 years,” Chinami Nishimura, a lawmaker with the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, told a lower house budget committee meeting Tuesday. “Why did the budget for spending so much money on Tomahawks get approved so quickly?”

because it’s an existential threat to the nation and our very survival , my lord, where do they find these people …

More wastage.

Kishida told a parliamentary session Monday that Japan will purchase 400 units of Tomahawks.

Well, that's already a 20% cut from original 500 unit purchase plan. A funding shortage?

@Desert Tortoise

South Korea and Singapore are in far worse shape. Singapore relies on immigrants from China to maintain its population.

Both Korea and Singapore rely on guest workers to solve their labor shortage problems. This isn't an option for Japan due to Japan's low-wages. 

Korea's guest worker wages are the highest in Asia, so they have no problem attracting workers; they in fact have a problem of too many candidates applying for guest worker visa. Not so with Japan.

Well, that's already a 20% cut from original 500 unit purchase plan. A funding shortage?

Weird prediction - sounds like something someone who has a weird Korean-like hatred for Japan would say. Of course it's not a funding shortage silly.

The country does not need 400 Tomahawks.

@Strangerland

Of course it's not a funding shortage silly.

Yes it is.

@wallace

The country does not need 400 Tomahawks.

Actually 400 isn't enough. Japan needs 6,000 ballistic missiles like Korea has in order to defend itself.

Japan is the weakest country in the region, this is why North Korean missiles are headed toward Japan.

“The improvement of childcare has been neglected for more than 10 years,” Chinami Nishimura, a lawmaker with the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, told a lower house budget committee meeting Tuesday. “Why did the budget for spending so much money on Tomahawks get approved so quickly?”

“I don’t think it’s about choosing between one or the other," Kishida responded. "Both are important for the lives and livelihood of the people.”

Fantastic! So where do I go to pick up my Tomahawk missile? How's it going to improve my livelihood?

socrateosToday  09:58 am JST

virusrex

Hardly surprising seeing how most of the people just let the LDP do as it pleases, in other countries this would lead to repercussions in the next election...

Advocating for a strong national defence - this is one of the biggest reasons why LDP has been in power. No surprise here.

The biggest reasons that the LDP has been in power is that they have piles of dodgy cash, and they cheat. Furthermore, Japan might not need such a strong national defense if people in other Asian countries didn't suspect geriatric LDP crytpo-fascist historical revisisionists of wanting to take Japan back to the 30s and start trying to invade everywhere again.

An absolutely stupid waste of money. All this tub thumping nationalism should have been long consigned to the history books. We need to urgently work on what brings us together as humans not separate ourselves off from each other. We are all humans on this one precious planet. Building schools, hospitals and providing for everyone is a much better goal than making bombs and bullets to kill people with.

So it's an increase in spending in Yen but not in US dollars because the Yen has weakened.

And why is the Yen getting weaker? The more US weapons we buy, the weaker the Yen will get. And who pays for that? You! The weaker the Yen gets, the more worthless Your savings become.

I don't have anyone tell me that about Korea or Singapore.

I do

Headline should read...

Lower house agrees to US demand for more military spending on US weapons.

Please show me one ounce of proof: that China will invade/attack or destroy Japan.

Just one document…secret service report, intelligence document, independent journalist investigation, cyber activity analysis, satellite intelligence, covert special forces operatives information, maritime tracking, missile locking practice, war gaming to invade japan…just give some proof that America is our enemy and China is our friend.

The reason for the excessive number of Tomahawks is that Japan is asking is for the simple reason that Japan cannot possess nuclear weapons at the moment, this means that in the event of a nuclear attack that the only deterrent Japan has is a conventional one.

Passage of the 114 trillion yen budget 

Tax revenues are only less than 70 trillion yen.

These Romans are crazy.

Err, Japanese politicians, and Japanese voters I mean.

Come on.

This is insane.

@kurisupisu

The reason for the excessive number of Tomahawks

400 isn't excessive; it's too few.

All of Japan's neighbors each got ballistic and cruise missiles in the thousands to tens of thousands. 400 is nothing against those numbers.

Actually 400 isn't enough. Japan needs 6,000 ballistic missiles like Korea has in order to defend itself.

Japan will fight to the last Korean. Thank you Korea.

Japan is the weakest country in the region, this is why North Korean missiles are headed toward Japan.

North Korea has to save the majority of its missiles for South Korea and the US. It can't waste most of them on Japan.

That's ridiculous !

When a Tomahawk missile gets intercepted then it didn't go where it was told did it !

Tomahawks hit their target, i.e., go where they are told to go, about 95% of the time. I have an 8yo boy and dearly wish his own P-hit (probability of a hit) was as high as Tomahawks. I would be a much calmer dad :/

Well, that's already a 20% cut from original 500 unit purchase plan. A funding shortage?

Maybe that is all Raytheon can build for Japan in the timeframe they need them? Consider the US Army and Marines are now buying Tomahawks along with the US and Royal Navies, plus all the existing Block IVs are going back to Raytheon for overhaul and conversion to a new Block V design. And, oh yeah, the Australians are buying them. Maybe Raytheon's production line is at full capacity?

Please show me one ounce of proof: that China will invade/attack or destroy Japan.

China routinely claims the Senkaku Islands are sovereign Chinese land and sends ships into Japanese territorial waters to assert their illegal claims. Their official press also refers to the Ryukyu Islands as being "Japanese occupied" refusing to acknowledge they are legitimately Japanese soil. The Chinese conduct exercises simulating attacks on the Ryukyu Islands.

https://asiatimes.com/2022/12/china-japan-up-military-ante-on-the-nansei-islands/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/may/15/china-okinawa-dispute-japan-ryukyu

@Samit Basu

As long as Japan has some form of deterrence then a potential attacker will be discouraged from carrying out threats

Japan needs to begin manufacturing tomahawk missiles for its own forces and sell them to US forces stationed in Japan and also sell to Australia. This relieves US manufacturing and provides an additional source in any conflict. Use the profits to pay for as much of Japans tomahawk needs as you can.