U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee to be the Pentagon's top Asia official has urged Japan to ramp up its defense budget, saying Tokyo “has long underemphasized spending for its own defense.” https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/08/japan/japan-us-defense-spending-pentagon/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #usjapanrelations #donaldtrump #defense #budgets #shigeruishiba #defenseministry #indopacific #johnnoh #sanaetakaichi

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump will start laying off federal workers if Trump decides negotiations with Democrats to end a government shutdown are "going nowhere," a White House official said. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/06/world/politics/white-house-mass-layoffs-shutdown/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #us #congress #budgets #donaldtrump #republicans #democrats

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has said the country's defense budget for next year would rise by 8.2% to $47.1 billion, adding that peace would only be possible on a strong foundation of security. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/10/01/asia-pacific/politics/south-korea-defense-budget-2026/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #southkorea #defense #budgets #leejaemyung #northkorea

Foreign policy experience aside, the next prime minister will have to deal with the U.S. president’s “quirks” in the practice of diplomacy. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/10/01/japan/trump-effect-on-the-ldp-race/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #ldp #defense #sanaetakaichi #shinjirokoizumi #toshimitsumotegi #yoshimasahayashi #takayukikobayashi #budgets #china #usjapanrelations #donaldtrump

On defense and foreign policy, the five candidates vying to be the LDP's next president largely align. But the nuanced differences they do have could mean significantly distinct policies depending on who is elected. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/28/japan/politics/ldp-leadership-race-candidates-foreign-defense-policies/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #ldp #defense #sanaetakaichi #shinjirokoizumi #toshimitsumotegi #yoshimasahayashi #takayukikobayashi #budgets #china #usjapanrelations #donaldtrump

U.S. President Donald Trump’s most concrete step to rein in unprecedented budget deficits — sweeping tariff hikes — faces the danger of a legal reversal that would put the nation’s finances on an even shakier footing. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/09/14/economy/tariffs-trump-deficit/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #us #tariffs #trade #donaldtrump #budgets

General-account budget requests from government agencies topped ¥120 trillion for the first time for fiscal 2026, led by higher debt serving costs and social security spending. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/09/04/general-account-budget-requests/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #wages #financeministry #budgets #japaneseeconomy

Hours before arriving in the U.S., South Korean leader Lee Jae Myung has signaled difficulties in reaching a deal with Washington on its demand that U.S. forces in South Korea play a larger role in countering China. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/25/asia-pacific/politics/south-korea-lee-us-trump-china/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics#leejaemyung #donaldtrump #usmilitary #defense #budgets #china #northkorea #southkorea #nuclearweapons #us

Voters in Taiwan have once again rejected an effort by President Lai Ching-te’s party to flip parliament, a setback that could deepen political deadlock and complicate the island’s push to ramp up defense spending. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/24/asia-pacific/politics/taiwan-reject-recalls-defense-budget/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #taiwan #dpp #kuomintang #laichingte #defense #budgets #china #pla

The Environment Ministry is looking to increase its funding to local governments to enable them to respond better to bear attacks, which are becoming increasingly common throughout the nation. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/22/japan/budget-increase-eyed-bear-shooting/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #bears #animals #environmentministry #budgets

Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and his Turkish counterpart have pledged to boost defense tie-ups between both countries as Tokyo weighs the possibility of purchasing drones from the NATO member. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/20/japan/politics/japan-turkey-defense-chiefs/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #turkeyjapanrelations #turkey #defense #drones #gennakatani #defenseministry #budgets

Following a trade deal with Seoul, the United States’ focus is now expected to shift to reorienting defense ties with South Korea as the two countries’ leaders meet for a summit that could reset their military alliance. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/10/asia-pacific/politics/south-korea-us-trump-lee-summit-preview/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #southkorea #us#leejaemyung #donaldtrump #northkorea #china #defense #budgets #usmilitary #indopacific

The government on Friday gave cabinet approval for guidelines on budget requests by ministries and agencies for fiscal 2026. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/08/08/economy/budget-request/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #budgets #japaneseeconomy

Britain’s latest defense review highlights a growing gap between its military ambitions and economic constraints, as limited spending, troop shortages and political hesitation hinder readiness. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/08/04/world/uk-military-rhetoric-fiscal-reality/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #uk #defense #budgets

Did this week’s U.S.-Japan trade deal also involve spending on defense? Donald Trump seems to think so. Japan, not so much. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/24/japan/politics/japan-us-trade-defense-trump/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #usjapanrelations #trade #tariffs #shigeruishiba #donaldtrump #defense #budgets #sdf #usmilitary

A reduction of Japan's consumption tax is not a given even after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito coalition lost its majority in the Upper House. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/07/21/economy/election-tax-cut/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #consumptiontax #taxes #ldp #japaneseeconomy #sanseito #dpp #cdp #yoshihikonoda #2025upperhouseelection #budgets #komeito

The Pentagon's No. 3 official has lauded Japan’s latest defense white paper — but that praise was couched in language suggesting the Trump administration will continue to push Tokyo to hike defense spending even further. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/16/japan/politics/us-china-japan-defense-white-paper/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #chinajapanrelations #china #pla #defense #defenseministry #sdf #defenseministry #usjapanrelations #us #elbridgecolby #donaldtrump #budgets

The international community has entered “a new era of crisis” amid China’s growing military assertiveness and U.S. President Donald Trump’s Indo-Pacific policies, Japan’s new annual defense report says. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/15/japan/politics/japan-defense-white-paper-2025/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #defense #defenseministry #sdf #china #taiwan #pla #us #usmilitary #budgets #donaldtrump #usjapanrelations

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hinted Friday that while Washington is asking Japan to boost its defense spending, it's more about capabilities than money. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/11/japan/politics/japan-rubio-defense-spending/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #usjapanrelations #marcorubio #defense #budgets #us #donaldtrump #shigeruishiba #sdf

Amid ongoing tariff talks, U.S. leader Donald Trump is again demanding Asian allies spend more on stationing American troops and for their own security — a sign that he is continuing to link trade with defense issues. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/09/japan/politics/us-japan-south-korea-tariffs-defense/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #usjapanrelations #donaldtrump #defense #budgets #trade #tariffs #china #usmilitary#leejaemyung #shigeruishiba #southkorea