Japan Defence Minister Koizumi: ramping up defence is critical to prevent war

In an exclusive interview with the BBC in Tokyo, Japan's Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Japan must revisit the pacifist posture that has defined it since World War Two. "It does not mean we are abandoning pacifism, but ramping up our defence is critical to prevent war," Koizumi said.

Tokyo has logged a 38% jump in Chinese naval activity in the East China Sea since 2024, and North Korean ballistic missile tests have already reached nine this year. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government has pledged to raise defence spending to 3% of GDP by the end of fiscal 2027, which would make Japan home to the world's third-largest defence budget. Koizumi said reciprocal defence investment with the United States was also being accelerated.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries and IHI remain Japan's frontline defence producers; expanding capacity in Kobe, Nagoya and Hiroshima will require an estimated ¥4 trillion in private capital. Asia economist Rena Watanabe said the spending could generate a GDP multiplier similar to Germany's experience in the EU. Toyota and Mitsubishi Heavy shares finished higher on the Tokyo Stock Exchange; the Nikkei 225 closed up 0.6% at 39,450.