How real is the threat of a ‘neo-militarist’ Japan?
Defence spending and demographics tell a different story from the bogeyman created by China and Russia.
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Members of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force aboard a Mogami-class stealth frigate on May 21.
PHOTO: AFP
James D.J. Brown
Taking to the stage at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31, Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi defended his country’s security policy, saying “some of you may have heard the term ‘new militarism’ – but nothing could be further from the truth”.
His comments are a response to a Chinese-led campaign to raise international concerns about Japan’s defence build-up under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who took power in October 2025.
