>Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has ordered a sharp defence spending hike that could see his long-pacifist country’s defence budget balloon to near the levels spent by Russia.
>Mr Kishida instructed ministers to put together a budget of about 43 trillion yen ($426 billion) for the five-year period starting in April, Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada said on Monday.
>That’s up 57 per cent on the 27 trillion yen initially budgeted for the current five-year period.
>The change of direction for Japan, which has retained a US-drafted pacifist constitution since its defeat in World War II, comes after the country was shocked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
>China’s threats toward Taiwan and North Korea’s atomic ambitions have also lent support for Tokyo to embark on one of its largest military build-ups in decades.
Japan’s welfare ministry issues Unification Church warning over adoptions https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/01/23/national/welfare-ministry-unification-church-administrative-guidance/
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>Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has ordered a sharp defence spending hike that could see his long-pacifist country’s defence budget balloon to near the levels spent by Russia.
>Mr Kishida instructed ministers to put together a budget of about 43 trillion yen ($426 billion) for the five-year period starting in April, Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada said on Monday.
>That’s up 57 per cent on the 27 trillion yen initially budgeted for the current five-year period.
>The change of direction for Japan, which has retained a US-drafted pacifist constitution since its defeat in World War II, comes after the country was shocked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
>China’s threats toward Taiwan and North Korea’s atomic ambitions have also lent support for Tokyo to embark on one of its largest military build-ups in decades.