Japan Defense Ministry seeks record-high budget amid N. Korea threat

The Japanese Defense Ministry on Thursday requested a record-high budget of 5.26 trillion yen ($47.8 billion) for fiscal 2018 as it seeks to counter missile threats from North Korea and defend remote islands in southwestern Japan in light of China's rising maritime assertiveness.The requested sum marks a 2.5 percent increase from the initial budget for the current year through March. Japan's defense budget has been on the rise under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who wants Japan to play a more active role in security issues, having topped 5 trillion yen in fiscal 2017 for a second-straight year…READ FULL ARTICLE