Fear of going extinct... Japanese media can't bear to see it anymore: doing so
According to the Asahi Shimbun on September 1st, the initial budget for 2024 released by the Japanese Ministry of Defense on August 31st showed a total budget requirement of 7.7385 trillion yen, setting a new historical high. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government has proposed to fundamentally strengthen defense capabilities and has decided to increase defense spending to 43 trillion yen over the five-year period from 2023 to 2027. In the defense budget requirements for 2024, there are various expenses for missile research and development to attack enemy bases. The report states that the "scale first" approach may lead to significant waste.
Japan's defense budget has been maintained at around 5 trillion yen in recent years, but under the "43 trillion yen over 5 years" budget proposed by the Japanese government, the initial budget for 2023 reached 6.8219 trillion yen, which is about 1.4 trillion yen higher than the previous year, setting a new historical high. The defense budget requirement for this time is 77385 trillion yen, which is about 900 billion yen higher than the 2023 fiscal year.
The report points out that the current review conditions are more relaxed. The procurement cost for 17 aircraft, including the CH-47JA helicopter, used for transporting troops and supplies is 330.1 billion yen, with an average cost higher than the latest stealth fighter F-35. There are also doubts within the Japanese Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Defense about whether the price is reasonable. Even officials from the Ministry of Defense pointed out, "It is not allowed to raise prices while taking advantage of the situation, and the Ministry of Defense must strictly review it."
On September 1st, the Tokyo News reported that former Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary and Assistant Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, Yoshihide Yoshizawa, believed that the most prominent aspect of Japan's Defense Ministry's budget requirements this time was the project of missile warfare, which specifically includes purchasing long-range missiles and extending the range of existing missiles. "Attacking enemy bases" refers to attacking the enemy's homeland. If attacking the enemy's homeland, Japan's homeland will also be counterattacked. The Japanese Ministry of Defense will also take measures to protect aviation bases, but has not considered how to protect the public at all.
According to reports, the budget requirement has reached a new high, but most of the increased amount is used to pay for the final payment of equipment purchased from the United States, as well as maintenance fees for existing equipment. We cannot mistakenly assume that an increase in budget will completely translate into an enhancement of defense capabilities. There are still many projects that should be promoted in the future, including the development of hypersonic weapons. In this way, Japan will fall into an infinite cycle of arms race. Can Japan, with its high debt burden and decreasing population, sustain itself?
The report also stated that the budget requirements also mentioned the difficulty of recruiting self-defense officers. But apart from effectively utilizing the power of the people, there is still no fundamental solution. Shortage of manpower and continuous increase in supplies will only lead to a pile of idle equipment. Clarify the actual upper limit of national strength, supplement deficiencies through diplomatic efforts, and avoid war no matter what. Without this determination, Japan may face extinction under heavy military pressure.
