Latest news with #SadayukiSakakibara
Kyodo News
6 days ago
- Sport
- Kyodo News
Baseball: Japan's Central League to adopt DH in 2027
TOKYO - Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League decided Monday to adopt the designated hitter rule beginning in the 2027 season. The CL's six clubs made the decision at a board meeting in Tokyo. The Pacific League has used the DH since 1975, two years after the rule was adopted by the American League of Major League Baseball. "It's important to take a flexible approach to global trends," said NPB's commissioner Sadayuki Sakakibara, a former chairman of the Japan Business Federation, known as Keidanren. "I believe the CL's decision to try a new style of baseball is a major step toward NPB's future." The DH is the player in the lineup who bats in place of the pitcher but does not play a defensive position. The DH is in use in countries such as the United States and South Korea as well as the World Baseball Classic and other international events. The CL is among a limited number of leagues that have not adopted the DH rule. In Japan, the governing bodies of college and high school baseball have decided to introduce the DH next year. "I'm sure fans will enjoy the game more," said former slugger Takeshi Yamasaki, who played in both leagues and filled the DH role while in the PL. "The way runs are scored will change. Baseball is pretty much about hitting." "By having the DH, the Pacific League saw the level of pitchers and their velocity go up." Some pitchers will miss having at-bats, while many others have welcomed the CL's decision, saying pitchers can concentrate more on pitching. "I love hitting," Rakuten Eagles left-handed pitcher Masaru Fujii said. "I've looked forward to stepping up to the plate in interleague games every year."
Japan Today
16-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
Panel to propose Japan raise defense spending above 2% of GDP
A Defense Ministry panel is set to propose that the government consider raising defense spending beyond the current goal of 2 percent of gross domestic product, sources close to the matter said. In a draft proposal to be presented to the government soon, the panel, set up in February 2024, also calls for discussions on deploying submarines equipped with long-range missiles, including nuclear-powered ones, to strengthen the country's deterrence capability, the sources said. It remains unclear how the proposal will be reflected in Japan's defense policy, as questions remain over how to fund a larger budget and whether using nuclear power for defense purposes would conflict with the country's policy of peaceful atomic energy use. The government "should not hesitate to pursue the further strengthening of defense capabilities after the achievement" of the current target to have defense-related spending account for 2 percent of GDP, the panel says in the draft proposal, according to the sources. The panel says submarines that enable Japan to strike from beyond an enemy's missile range would significantly enhance the country's deterrence capability. The government should discuss all possible options for propulsion systems, including nuclear power for the submarines, "without taboos," the panel says. The panel, chaired by Sadayuki Sakakibara, the former chairman of the Japan Business Federation, was set up to discuss how the country's defense capabilities should be bolstered in line with its current defense buildup plan. The plan, known as the Defense Buildup Program, allocates 43 trillion yen over five years through March 2028, aiming for defense spending to reach 2 percent of GDP in fiscal 2027. Japan's annual defense budget had long been capped at around 1 percent of GDP. The program was adopted in December 2022 as part of three key security documents that marked a major shift in defense policy for a country with a pacifist Constitution, including a plan to acquire strike capabilities that could reach an adversary's territory. "It is necessary to make efforts to achieve the 2 percent target ahead of schedule and compile the next defense strategy and the buildup plan," the panel says in the draft proposal. The panel, made up of experts in security, the economy, and science and technology, also calls for the full-fledged introduction of unmanned defense equipment using cutting-edge artificial intelligence technologies, the sources said. The government should consider using unmanned aircraft for continuous day-and-night aerial monitoring, the panel says, following a May incident in which a Chinese military helicopter entered Japanese airspace near the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which are claimed by Beijing. © KYODO
Kyodo News
15-06-2025
- Business
- Kyodo News
Panel to propose Japan weigh defense spending above 2% of GDP
KYODO NEWS - 6 hours ago - 22:01 | All, Japan A Defense Ministry panel is set to propose that the government consider raising defense spending beyond the current goal of 2 percent of gross domestic product, sources close to the matter said Sunday. In a draft proposal to be presented to the government soon, the panel, set up in February 2024, also calls for discussions on deploying submarines equipped with long-range missiles, including nuclear-powered ones, to strengthen the country's deterrence capability, the sources said. It remains unclear how the proposal will be reflected in Japan's defense policy, as questions remain over how to fund a larger budget and whether using nuclear power for defense purposes would conflict with the country's policy of peaceful atomic energy use. The government "should not hesitate to pursue the further strengthening of defense capabilities after the achievement" of the current target to have defense-related spending account for 2 percent of GDP, the panel says in the draft proposal, according to the sources. The panel says submarines that enable Japan to strike from beyond an enemy's missile range would significantly enhance the country's deterrence capability. The government should discuss all possible options for propulsion systems, including nuclear power for the submarines, "without taboos," the panel says. The panel, chaired by Sadayuki Sakakibara, the former chairman of the Japan Business Federation, was set up to discuss how the country's defense capabilities should be bolstered in line with its current defense buildup plan. The plan, known as the Defense Buildup Program, allocates 43 trillion yen ($298 billion) over five years through March 2028, aiming for defense spending to reach 2 percent of GDP in fiscal 2027. Japan's annual defense budget had long been capped at around 1 percent of GDP. The program was adopted in December 2022 as part of three key security documents that marked a major shift in defense policy for a country with a pacifist Constitution, including a plan to acquire strike capabilities that could reach an adversary's territory. "It is necessary to make efforts to achieve the 2 percent target ahead of schedule and compile the next defense strategy and the buildup plan," the panel says in the draft proposal. The panel, made up of experts in security, the economy, and science and technology, also calls for the full-fledged introduction of unmanned defense equipment using cutting-edge artificial intelligence technologies, the sources said. The government should consider using unmanned aircraft for continuous day-and-night aerial monitoring, the panel says, following a May incident in which a Chinese military helicopter entered Japanese airspace near the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which are claimed by Beijing. Related coverage: Philippines, Japan conduct joint exercise in South China Sea Japan draws up 100 bil. yen policy to attract foreign researchers Japan conveys strong concern over China jet flying close to SDF plane
Kyodo News
15-06-2025
- Business
- Kyodo News
Panel to propose Japan weigh defense spending above 2% of GDP
KYODO NEWS - 3 minutes ago - 22:01 | All, Japan A Defense Ministry panel is set to propose that the government consider raising defense spending beyond the current goal of 2 percent of gross domestic product, sources close to the matter said Sunday. In a draft proposal to be presented to the government soon, the panel, set up in February 2024, also calls for discussions on deploying submarines equipped with long-range missiles, including nuclear-powered ones, to strengthen the country's deterrence capability, the sources said. It remains unclear how the proposal will be reflected in Japan's defense policy, as questions remain over how to fund a larger budget and whether using nuclear power for defense purposes would conflict with the country's policy of peaceful atomic energy use. The government "should not hesitate to pursue the further strengthening of defense capabilities after the achievement" of the current target to have defense-related spending account for 2 percent of GDP, the panel says in the draft proposal, according to the sources. The panel says submarines that enable Japan to strike from beyond an enemy's missile range would significantly enhance the country's deterrence capability. The government should discuss all possible options for propulsion systems, including nuclear power for the submarines, "without taboos," the panel says. The panel, chaired by Sadayuki Sakakibara, the former chairman of the Japan Business Federation, was set up to discuss how the country's defense capabilities should be bolstered in line with its current defense buildup plan. The plan, known as the Defense Buildup Program, allocates 43 trillion yen ($298 billion) over five years through March 2028, aiming for defense spending to reach 2 percent of GDP in fiscal 2027. Japan's annual defense budget had long been capped at around 1 percent of GDP. The program was adopted in December 2022 as part of three key security documents that marked a major shift in defense policy for a country with a pacifist Constitution, including a plan to acquire strike capabilities that could reach an adversary's territory. "It is necessary to make efforts to achieve the 2 percent target ahead of schedule and compile the next defense strategy and the buildup plan," the panel says in the draft proposal. The panel, made up of experts in security, the economy, and science and technology, also calls for the full-fledged introduction of unmanned defense equipment using cutting-edge artificial intelligence technologies, the sources said. The government should consider using unmanned aircraft for continuous day-and-night aerial monitoring, the panel says, following a May incident in which a Chinese military helicopter entered Japanese airspace near the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which are claimed by Beijing. Related coverage: Philippines, Japan conduct joint exercise in South China Sea Japan draws up 100 bil. yen policy to attract foreign researchers Japan conveys strong concern over China jet flying close to SDF plane
Japan Today
05-05-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
Panel weighs need to update ¥43 tril Japan defense buildup plan
File photo taken in February 2024 shows a panel of experts under the Japanese Defense Ministry tasked to discuss ways to reinforce Japan's defense capabilities holding its first meeting at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo. A panel of experts under the Japanese Defense Ministry is considering a proposal to revise the current defense buildup plan, which allocates 43 trillion yen in spending over five years through March 2028, sources close to the matter said Sunday, as inflation drives up the cost of defense equipment. The panel, led by Sadayuki Sakakibara, a former chief of the Japan Business Federation, the biggest business lobby in the country, will submit a report on its discussions regarding the need to beef up the country's defense capabilities, possibly in the summer, for the government to consider. As Japan undertakes its most extensive defense buildup since World War II amid growing security challenges from China and North Korea, and with the public burdened by rising prices, it remains unclear whether any proposal to increase defense spending will gain support from the government and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. The current Defense Buildup Program was adopted in December 2022 as part of three key security documents that marked a major shift in defense policy for a country that upholds a pacifist Constitution, including a plan to acquire strike capabilities that could potentially reach an adversary's territory. While Japan's annual defense budget had long been capped at around 1 percent of gross domestic product, the documents also set a goal of increasing defense-related spending to 2 percent of GDP by fiscal 2027. But some members of the panel, established in February 2024, have said the 43 trillion yen budget would be insufficient to fulfill the government's commitment to strengthen defense capabilities, citing rising costs of equipment due to inflation and a weak yen, according to the sources. Others emphasized the need to enhance Japan's ability to sustain combat operations by increasing ammunition stockpiles and accelerating the acquisition of drones and other advanced equipment amid a shifting security environment following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and growing concerns over a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, they said. The Defense Buildup Program provides rough cost estimates for acquiring long-range missiles, aircraft and ships over the five years starting in fiscal 2023, as well as a projection of the Self-Defense Forces' posture around a decade later. To cover the 43 trillion yen in defense spending, the government has planned hikes in corporate, income and tobacco taxes. It is set to raise corporate and tobacco taxes starting in April 2026 but has yet to decide when to increase the income tax. A government source said seeking to further increase the defense budget will require "huge political energy," which is not something that Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who leads a minority government, can withstand. A senior government official said serious discussions about revisiting the Defense Buildup Program are likely to take place after the House of Councillors election in the summer. Meanwhile, some within the Japanese government have called for additional defense equipment to be purchased through the United States' foreign military sales program, as U.S. President Donald Trump has made clear he believes Japan should increase its defense spending. © KYODO
