The Japanese parliament has approved the nation’s largest defense budget yet, allocating 2 percent of its GDP to military spending two years ahead of schedule, a reflection of the escalating security threats in the region and the increasing pressure from the Trump administration on allies to spend more on their own defense. Japan had planned to reach the 2 percent target by early 2028, but Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, a security hawk who took office in October, has supercharged the timeline. The parliament last week approved her plan to spend an additional $7.1 billion on defense, taking total military spending to $71 billion in the year to March. It’s a momentous change for Japan, which for decades had capped its defense expenditures at 1 percent of its gross domestic product to uphold postwar pacificist norms, and underscores the dramatic shift Tokyo has taken since 2022 to bolster its own defense. Under Takaichi, Japan is exploring new initiatives, including rolling back restrictions on exporting lethal military equipment.

Full report : Japan has accelerated plans to devote 2 percent of its GDP — and more — to its military as China grows more assertive and the U.S. urges allies to spend bigger.