Japan Unveils Biggest Military Buildup Since World War II

Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force's (JMSDF) JS Mogami (FFM-1), a Japanese multi-mission stealth frigate, takes part in the International Fleet Review to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the foundation of JMSDF, at Sagami Bay, off Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, on Nov. 6, 2022. Issei Kato/Reuters

TOKYO—Japan on Dec. 16 unveiled its biggest military buildup since World War II with a $320 billion plan that will buy missiles capable of striking China and ready it for sustained conflict, as regional tensions and Russia’s Ukraine invasion stoke war fears.

The sweeping, five-year plan, once unthinkable in pacifist Japan, will make the country the world’s third-biggest military spender after the United States and China, based on current budgets.