If all goes according to precedent, the Diet will be approving the government's budget in the next month or so, including record-high spending on defense.
But what does it actually mean for Japan to set a new record for its defense budget? What is the significance, what will it do for Japanese security and how might it affect criticism that Japan does not pay enough in its alliance with the United States?
In short, the latest defense budget continues a trend for the Abe administration's incrementally growing military expenditures, but it will still not be enough for many interested parties.