Japan’s Ministry of Defense released its annual white paper, highlighting the growing military cooperation between China and Russia, as well as North Korea’s rapidly advancing nuclear missile program, as serious threats to national security. Defense Minister Gen Nakatani stated that Japan is facing “the most complex and serious security environment in its history” and emphasized that the government is making intensive efforts to radically strengthen its defense capabilities.
Strong Message to China and Russia
The report described China’s activities around the Nansei Islands in southwestern Japan as “unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force.” Notably, violations of Japanese airspace by Chinese Coast Guard ships and Z-9 anti-submarine helicopters around the Senkaku Islands were documented. The report also mentioned a 2024 airspace violation and the close approach of a Chinese aircraft carrier to Japan’s territorial waters.
Joint air patrols and naval operations conducted by China and Russia near Japan have also become focal points for Japan’s defense planners. In April, the Ministry of Defense released a separate report on the deployment of Russian submarines in the Far East, including Borey- and Yasen-class nuclear-powered submarines and Kilo-class diesel-electric submarines added to the Russian Pacific Fleet.
Southwestern Defense and the Osprey Move
Japan’s defense strategy prioritizes the southwest region. In line with this, surveillance and patrol systems have been established, and electronic warfare and air defense units have been activated. Additionally, V-22 Osprey aircraft are being relocated from Chiba, near Tokyo, to the newly established Saga garrison on Kyushu Island. The Ospreys will support the amphibious task force assigned with retaking islands in case of an invasion.
Plans are also underway to deploy F-35B fighter jets from Izumo-class destroyers. However, delays in the delivery of the first six jets have postponed joint training exercises with the Maritime Self-Defense Force.
North Korea and the Hypersonic Threat
The report reiterated that North Korea’s ballistic missile tests and reconnaissance satellite development efforts pose a serious threat to Japan. Pyongyang’s focus on hypersonic missile technology and systems capable of delivering nuclear warheads has raised alarms in Tokyo. Japanese officials have expressed concern over North Korea’s efforts to enhance its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, seeing them as destabilizing for regional security.
Security Concerns Amid Election Season
The timing of the report’s release—just days before the July 20 Upper House elections—has drawn attention. Experts suggest that the outcome could either help the ruling Liberal Democratic Party maintain its majority or, in a worst-case scenario, lead to the resignation of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and a period of political uncertainty.
Japan’s new defense white paper underscores a strategic shift in response to rapidly changing power dynamics in the Pacific, signaling that regional threats are now being met with more direct and assertive defense measures.
