Archive · 5 Aug 2026
Japan's Defence White Paper warns of China, North Korea threats
Japan's government wrote a big report about how to keep its people safe.
It is called the 2026 Defence White Paper.
The report says the world around Japan is less safe than it has been since World War II.
Japan is worried that China is building a bigger and stronger military.
Japan is also worried about North Korea's nuclear weapons and missiles.
And it is worried about Russia teaming up with China.
So Japan wants to make its own military stronger, too.
It plans to spend more than 9 trillion yen on defence.
Japan also wants to use smart new tools like drones, computers, and artificial intelligence to defend itself.
Japan says working with its friends, especially the United States, is very important for staying safe.
Japan's Ministry of Defense published its 2026 Defence White Paper, calling the security environment the most severe since the end of World War II.
The report described China's military expansion as an 'unprecedented and the greatest strategic challenge' for Japan.
North Korea was called an increasingly grave and imminent threat, having conducted six nuclear tests with missiles capable of reaching Japan.
Japan is accelerating defence spending toward 2% of GDP, with its FY2026 budget exceeding 9 trillion yen for the first time.
The white paper highlighted new forms of warfare such as drones, AI, cyber operations and information warfare, and reaffirmed the Japan-U.S. alliance.
- Who
- Japan's Ministry of Defense, led by Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, warned about the military activities of China, North Korea and Russia.
- What
- Tokyo published its 2026 Defence White Paper, outlining Japan's largest military buildup since World War II, including advanced defence technologies and higher defence spending.
- When
- The 2026 Defence White Paper was unveiled as Japan's annual defence report; no specific release date was given in the article.
- Where
- Japan, with threats assessed across the Indo-Pacific, including the East China Sea, the Senkaku Islands, the Sea of Japan, the western Pacific and the Northern Territories.
- Why
- Because Japan says the security environment is the most severe and complex since World War II, citing China's military expansion, North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes, and Russia's growing cooperation with China.
- Report
- 2026 Defence White Paper
- Issuing body
- Japan's Ministry of Defense
- Defence Minister
- Shinjiro Koizumi
- Assessment of China
- Unprecedented and greatest strategic challenge
- Assessment of North Korea
- Grave and imminent threat; six nuclear tests conducted
- Defence spending target
- 2% of GDP
- FY2026 defence budget
- Exceeded 9 trillion yen for the first time