Japan should invest more in improving people's welfare, rather than in defense, a Japanese expert said in a comment on the country's budget for fiscal 2026.
Japan's parliament on Tuesday passed a record 122.31 trillion yen (around 772 billion U.S. dollars) budget for fiscal 2026, the first time in 11 years that the annual spending plan was not in place before the start of the fiscal year on April 1.
The general account budget hits a record high for the second consecutive year as welfare expenditure rises amid Japan's aging population. The Japanese government has also earmarked more than 9 trillion yen for defense-related purposes for the first time, drawing public criticism.
Jusen Asuka, a professor at Tohoku University, said Japan is likely to spend the money on weapons purchase from the United States, which is not an effective way of using the funds.
"From the perspective of 'how to use money to improve the lives of the people,' I would rather spend the money on subsidies for developing solar energy and electric vehicles, and other subsidies to promote energy conservation than on defense expenses. I hope these subsidies can increase significantly. Moreover, from an economic perspective, even if the funds are invested in the defense industry, it may not effectively boost Japan's gross domestic product because in this sector, Japan is more likely to purchase weapons from the United States. The funds actually flowed to the United States, which is not an efficient way of using the funds," he said.
Asuka said Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi administration's push to revise Japan's Constitution has drawn public opposition, warning that Japan should prevent itself from repeating the mistakes of the past.
The Constitution, which took effect in 1947, is often referred to as the pacifist Constitution because Article 9 states that the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.
"Takaishi stated a long time ago that she wanted to promote constitutional revision. After she took power, she is putting it into practice. Of course, I oppose it. There are the things, including the Constitution, that Japan has always adhered to. I think changing them would cause some problems. Takaichi has always advocated amending the Constitution, and I also hope to stop it," he said.
"In fact, many people oppose constitutional revision. Protests have been held in many places across Japan. Recently, there was a large-scale rally in front of the National Diet. It is not completely impossible for Japan to repeat the mistakes of the past. Therefore, it is very important to prevent this situation from happening," Asuka added.
Gov't should spend more on people's welfare rather than defense: Japanese expert
