Latest news with #SadayukiSakakibara
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
Kyodo News
05-05-2025
- Business
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: May 5, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 4 hours ago - 09:01 | All, Japan, World The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- Panel weighs need to update 43 tril. yen Japan defense buildup plan 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 ($297 billion) 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. ---------- China rebuts Japan's assertion of airspace intrusion near Senkakus BEIJING - China on Sunday rejected Japan's claim that a Chinese coast guard helicopter entered its airspace near the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea the previous day, instead blaming the incident on the activities of a Japanese civilian aircraft at the time. Liu Jinsong, head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Asian Affairs Department, lodged a protest with Akira Yokochi, chief minister at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing, over what he called the "intrusion of a civilian aircraft operated by Japan's right-winger" into the airspace over the islands. The Senkakus are administered by Japan but claimed by Beijing, which calls them Diaoyu. ---------- Japan's child population falls for 44th straight yr to new record TOKYO - Japan's estimated child population has shrunk for the 44th straight year to a new record low, government data showed Sunday, as the country struggles to reverse the declining trend of births. The number of children under 15, including foreign residents, was 13.66 million as of April 1, down 350,000 from a year ago, according to data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications before the national Children's Day holiday on Monday. ---------- Japan, Sri Lanka agree to enhance cooperation of defense forces COLOMBO - Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and Sri Lankan Deputy Defense Minister Aruna Jayasekara agreed Sunday to strengthen cooperation between their countries' defense forces to promote stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Nakatani's visit to Sri Lanka, the second by a Japanese defense minister, underscores the importance Japan places on ties with the island nation, which sits along key shipping lanes, amid China's growing economic and military influence in the region. ---------- Xi to visit Russia from Wed. to attend WWII Victory Day ceremony BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Russia for four days starting Wednesday to attend a ceremony in Moscow marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, which Russia observes as Victory Day, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Sunday. Xi will engage in "strategic communication" with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who invited him to the war anniversary event next Friday, on the development of bilateral ties and major international and regional issues, the ministry said. ---------- Over half of major Japanese firms not using AI in hiring: survey TOKYO - More than half of major Japanese companies do not use artificial intelligence in recruiting fresh graduates, a recent Kyodo News survey showed, highlighting a cautious stance toward relying on AI for hiring despite its growing use in the workplace. Of the 117 companies surveyed across various industries, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp., 64 said they do not use AI in recruitment, while 36 reported using it in some form, with 19 citing application form analysis as the most common use. ---------- Rugby: Eagles drop out of playoff contention with loss to Steelers TOKYO - The Yokohama Eagles' slim hopes of a Japan Rugby League One playoff berth flickered out Sunday with a 47-29 loss to the Kobe Steelers. Starting the day in seventh place, head coach Keisuke Sawaki's Eagles needed a bonus-point win to keep alive their bid for a place in the playoffs involving the top six regular-season sides. ---------- Boxing: Inoue reveals plan to win 5th division ahead of Cardenas bout LAS VEGAS - Japan's undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue revealed plans to conquer a fifth weight division Saturday on the eve of his world title defense against American Ramon Cardenas at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The 32-year-old Inoue and 29-year-old Cardenas briefly faced off after both cleared the 122-pound (55.3-kilogram) limit at a flashy weigh-in ceremony conducted in front of around 200 fans. Video: Giant float at Seihaku-sai festival in Ishikawa Prefecture
The Mainichi
05-05-2025
- Business
- The Mainichi
Panel weighs need to update 43 tril. yen Japan defense buildup plan
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- 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 ($297 billion) 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 News
05-05-2025
- Business
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: May 5, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 14 minutes ago - 09:01 | All, Japan, World The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- Panel weighs need to update 43 tril. yen Japan defense buildup plan 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 ($297 billion) 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. ---------- China rebuts Japan's assertion of airspace intrusion near Senkakus BEIJING - China on Sunday rejected Japan's claim that a Chinese coast guard helicopter entered its airspace near the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea the previous day, instead blaming the incident on the activities of a Japanese civilian aircraft at the time. Liu Jinsong, head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Asian Affairs Department, lodged a protest with Akira Yokochi, chief minister at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing, over what he called the "intrusion of a civilian aircraft operated by Japan's right-winger" into the airspace over the islands. The Senkakus are administered by Japan but claimed by Beijing, which calls them Diaoyu. ---------- Japan's child population falls for 44th straight yr to new record TOKYO - Japan's estimated child population has shrunk for the 44th straight year to a new record low, government data showed Sunday, as the country struggles to reverse the declining trend of births. The number of children under 15, including foreign residents, was 13.66 million as of April 1, down 350,000 from a year ago, according to data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications before the national Children's Day holiday on Monday. ---------- Japan, Sri Lanka agree to enhance cooperation of defense forces COLOMBO - Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and Sri Lankan Deputy Defense Minister Aruna Jayasekara agreed Sunday to strengthen cooperation between their countries' defense forces to promote stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Nakatani's visit to Sri Lanka, the second by a Japanese defense minister, underscores the importance Japan places on ties with the island nation, which sits along key shipping lanes, amid China's growing economic and military influence in the region. ---------- Xi to visit Russia from Wed. to attend WWII Victory Day ceremony BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Russia for four days starting Wednesday to attend a ceremony in Moscow marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, which Russia observes as Victory Day, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Sunday. Xi will engage in "strategic communication" with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who invited him to the war anniversary event next Friday, on the development of bilateral ties and major international and regional issues, the ministry said. ---------- Over half of major Japanese firms not using AI in hiring: survey TOKYO - More than half of major Japanese companies do not use artificial intelligence in recruiting fresh graduates, a recent Kyodo News survey showed, highlighting a cautious stance toward relying on AI for hiring despite its growing use in the workplace. Of the 117 companies surveyed across various industries, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp., 64 said they do not use AI in recruitment, while 36 reported using it in some form, with 19 citing application form analysis as the most common use. ---------- Rugby: Eagles drop out of playoff contention with loss to Steelers TOKYO - The Yokohama Eagles' slim hopes of a Japan Rugby League One playoff berth flickered out Sunday with a 47-29 loss to the Kobe Steelers. Starting the day in seventh place, head coach Keisuke Sawaki's Eagles needed a bonus-point win to keep alive their bid for a place in the playoffs involving the top six regular-season sides. ---------- Boxing: Inoue reveals plan to win 5th division ahead of Cardenas bout LAS VEGAS - Japan's undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue revealed plans to conquer a fifth weight division Saturday on the eve of his world title defense against American Ramon Cardenas at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The 32-year-old Inoue and 29-year-old Cardenas briefly faced off after both cleared the 122-pound (55.3-kilogram) limit at a flashy weigh-in ceremony conducted in front of around 200 fans. Video: Giant float at Seihaku-sai festival in Ishikawa Prefecture
