Takaichi lauds ‘transparency’ of Japan’s record budget requests
Her government has promised to review and cut back on unnecessary spending programs and is trying to incorporate more forward-looking investment into the budget.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a conference with the Self-Defense Forces' senior commanders at the Defense Ministry in Tokyo on Wednesday. | AFP-JIJI
Sep 5, 2026
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi touted the formulation of Japan’s record spending requests as increasing the transparency and discipline of the country’s finances after an overhaul of the budget-making process.
Takaichi’s government has promised to review and cut back on unnecessary spending programs and is trying to incorporate more forward-looking investment into the budget, but the biggest change is an attempt to end Japan’s postwar reliance on extra budgets.
Ministries sought ¥143.1 trillion ($908 billion) in total for the fiscal year starting in April, the Finance Ministry said Friday. That topped last year’s ¥122 trillion in requests. It also exceeded ¥140.6 trillion, the combined size of this year’s initial budget and last year’s ¥18.3 trillion extra budget — a comparison cited by the ministry as the most apt given changes to the budgeting process.
In a time of both misinformation and too much information,
quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
SUBSCRIBE NOW