Japan’s new PM
Call to achieve target 2 years ahead of time comes as Trump set to visit
Japanese Prime minister Sanae Takaichi delivers a policy speech in parliament in Tokyo on Oct. 24. (Photo by Marina Inoue)
MITSURU OBE and YUICHI SHIGA
October 24, 2025 14:59 JST
TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, in her first policy address to parliament on Friday, unveiled a plan to lift Japan’s defense-related spending to a level equivalent to 2% of gross domestic product in the current fiscal year ending March 2026, while also outlining a list of economic goals that she said can be achieved without raising taxes.
