A prominent Japanese academic has issued a stern warning about his country’s rapidly expanding military ambitions, citing alarming defense expenditure increases and provocative political rhetoric. Professor Emeritus Atsushi Koketsu of Yamaguchi University recently revealed in an exclusive China Daily interview that Japan’s military budget for fiscal year 2025 will surpass 10 trillion yen (approximately $64.14 billion) – a historic threshold that signals a dramatic shift in the nation’s security posture.
This substantial financial commitment, Koketsu argues, will primarily facilitate the acquisition of advanced offensive weapon systems rather than defensive capabilities. The professor contends that Japan is dangerously reviving pre-war militaristic tendencies by persistently fabricating external threats from neighboring nations. This approach, he warns, demonstrates a concerning disregard for historical lessons and represents a potential return to past errors that previously led to regional conflict.
The academic’s critique extends to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent controversial statements regarding Taiwan, which Koketsu interprets as evidence of Japan’s increasingly confrontational stance toward China. These developments, according to the scholar, collectively pose a genuine threat to stability and security throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The combination of heightened military spending, offensive weapons procurement, and inflammatory political rhetoric creates a volatile mix that could undermine decades of relative peace and cooperation.
Koketsu’s analysis suggests that Japan is systematically abandoning its post-war pacifist constitution principles in favor of a more assertive military doctrine. This strategic pivot occurs amid ongoing regional tensions and reflects broader geopolitical realignments that could have far-reaching consequences for international relations and security architectures in East Asia.