Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Prioritizes Armament Development, Reversing Low Birth Rate

Kishida’s government passed key security and defense reforms in December, including the ability to fight back, breaking the country’s postwar doctrine of self-defense only. Japan says the missile interceptors it currently deploys are insufficient to defend against rapidly developing weapons from China and North Korea.

In his policy speech at the opening of this year’s parliamentary session, Kishida said aggressive diplomacy should be prioritized but that it needed “the backing of national defense.” He said Japan’s new security strategy is based on realistic simulations “because we are facing the most severe and complex security environment since the end of World War II, and the question of whether we can protect people’s lives in emergencies.” China’s increasingly assertive territorial ambitions are also a sensitive issue for many Asian countries that suffered from Japan’s wartime aggression. Kishida said it was a “dramatic shift” in Japan’s security policy but remained within the limits of its pacifist constitution and international law.

“I made it clear that Japan’s principles of non-nuclearization and self-defense and our steps as a peace-loving nation will not change in the slightest,” Kishida said.

This month, Kishida visited five countries, including Washington, to explain Japan’s new defense plan and further develop defense ties with ally the United States.

Japan plans to nearly double its defense budget to 43 trillion yen ($332 billion) within five years and boost cyberspace and intelligence capabilities. While three-quarters of the annual defense budget increase could be squeezed through spending and fiscal reforms, the rest would need to come from possible tax increases, and Kishida has faced mounting criticism from opposition lawmakers and even his ruling party .

Kishida also faces the crucial issue of population growth.

“We cannot afford to waste any time on children’s policy and parenting support,” he said. “We must build an economy and society that puts children first and reverse the declining birthrate.” Japan’s population of more than 125 million has declined for 14 consecutive years and is expected to drop to 86.7 million by 2060. Declining and aging populations have enormous implications for the economy and national security.

Kishida has pledged to step up financial support for families with children, including more scholarships, and said he will have a plan in place by June.

Japan is the world’s third-largest economy, but the cost of living is high and wage growth is slow. The conservative government has lagged behind in making society more inclusive of children, women and minorities.

So far, efforts to encourage people to have more children have had limited success, despite subsidies for pregnancy, childbirth and childcare. Some experts say government subsidies still tend to target parents who already have children, rather than removing barriers that prevent young people from starting families.