COMMENTARY / Japan

The LDP says the party will double Japan’s defense spending. Can it?

Upcoming elections — this month and next summer — will restrain how fast the party can move on its policy goals

The Abe administration waited until after the 2013 Upper House election to roll out its National Security Strategy and National Defense Program Guidelines. Prime Minister Minister Fumio Kishida will likely do the same. | REUTERS

By Michael MacArthur Bosack
Contributing Writer

Oct 20, 2021

Last week, the Liberal Democratic Party laid out its policy platform for the upcoming Lower House election.

National security was obviously among the topics included, and what ended up garnering the most headlines was the fact that the party declared its intent to boost defense spending to more than 2% of the country’s gross domestic product — a move that would effectively double its current defense budget.

While that point is attention grabbing, it is important to temper expectations and to glean the actual takeaways on Japanese security from the LDP's policy pledges.

The LDP says the party will double Japan’s defense spending. Can it?

Upcoming elections — this month and next summer — will restrain how fast the party can move on its policy goals

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