Will Japan seize its chance to lead regional security in Asia?

It would help its relations with the US and defence against China

- KARISHMA VASWANI

Japan is doing what President Donald Trump has demanded: increasing defence spending.

But as America’s influence in the Indo-Pacific wanes, Tokyo has the opportunity to play a bigger role in the region's security.

Japans's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is determined to convince Trump she’s serious about boosting the nation’s military capabilities. A protégé of the late Shinzo Abe—the original Trump whisperer—she’s eager to cultivate the same kind of personal rapport the former PM had with the US leader. Ahead of their meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday, she announced Japan will spend 2% of GDP on defence by next spring, two years ahead of schedule. The government also plans to roll back defence export restrictions, build weapons factories and accelerate investment in the military.

The Trump administration has pushed European allies to boost defence spending to 5% of GDP and is making similar demands of its partners in Asia, including Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Getting out in front of that narrative shows that Tokyo is proactive, not reactive. Japan is already facing significant security concerns in its own backyard, as the country’s 2025 defence white paper notes. China’s military modernization is accelerating, the People’s Liberation Army has increased exercises around Taiwan, North Korea's army is getting more advanced, and Russia’s war in Ukraine is continuing to worry security chiefs in Tokyo.