Why more Japanese than ever support strengthening the Self-Defence Forces

A record share of the Japanese public now supports strengthening the country’s Self-Defence Forces, a new government survey shows, highlighting how sharply attitudes on national security have shifted amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, China’s expanding military activities and rising tensions on the Korean peninsula.Analysts said the shift reflects a growing sense that diplomacy and alliances alone may no longer be sufficient to guarantee Japan’s security.According to a Cabinet Office survey conducted in November and December, 45.2 per cent of respondents said the size and capabilities of the Self-Defence Forces (SDF) “should be strengthened”, the highest level since the question was first asked.That figure was up from 42 per cent in 2022, the last time the survey was conducted, and just 9 per cent in 1991, when the question was first added.By contrast, 49.8 per cent said the size and capabilities of the SDF should be maintained at current levels. In 1991, there was a gap of more than 50 percentage points between those who favoured expanding the SDF and those satisfied with existing defence arrangements. In the most recent poll, that gap had narrowed to just 4.6 percentage points.Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi attends a new year military drill by the Ground Self-Defence Force’s 1st Airborne Brigade at the Narashino training ground in Funabashi, east of Tokyo, on January 11. Photo: ReutersAccording to the survey, the top concern among respondents was China’s military power and activities in the region, cited by 68.1 per cent, up 6.8 percentage points from the previous poll to a record high.