The Defense Ministry said Friday it would seek a record $6.7 billion additional spending this financial year to speed up purchases of military equipment, citing the "increasingly severe" regional security environment.
Noting challenges posed by China and North Korea, the ministry said the regional security situation was becoming "increasingly severe at an unprecedented speed."
Japan's military budget has been rising steadily for about a decade and the ministry has already put in a request for next financial year worth $50 billion, maintaining record spending.