Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi [AFP Yonhap News]

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated on the 14th that "all options will be considered without exclusion" to strengthen defense capabilities.

According to Kyodo News and the Nikkei Shimbun, Prime Minister Takaichi said at the graduation ceremony of the National Defense Academy in Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture, on that day, "To firmly protect our country (Japan) and its people, we will consider all options without exclusion, including the mode of operation for the Ministry of Defense and the Self-Defense Forces organizations."

He also mentioned the military buildup of North Korea and China, and the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea, emphasizing that "the security environment surrounding our country is becoming the most severe and complex since the war," and that the deterrence role of the Self-Defense Forces is crucial.

Furthermore, he highlighted the need to prepare for a "new mode of warfare" involving the mass operation of drones and for prolonged conflicts, as well as the importance of deepening multinational cooperation with countries such as South Korea and the Philippines, based on the Japan-U.S. alliance.

Prime Minister Takaichi has made strengthening defense capabilities a top priority and is accelerating the revision of three key security documents: the National Security Strategy, the National Defense Strategy, and the Plan for Defense Capability Development.

The Japanese government had initially decided to increase defense spending to 2% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by fiscal year 2027, up from 1%.

However, Prime Minister Takaichi has brought forward the target of achieving 2% of GDP for defense spending by two years, to fiscal year 2025, by utilizing supplementary budgets.

The National Defense Academy of Japan is a school that trains candidates for Self-Defense Forces officers, and the Prime Minister, as the supreme commander of the Self-Defense Forces, delivers an address at the graduation ceremony each year.