Japan to deploy missile defense system in Yonaguni island

The Japanese defense ministry is reportedly set to deploy a missile defense system on the inhabited Yonaguni island near Taiwan. The deployment is apparently part of the efforts to reinforce the defenses of Japan’s southwestern islands.

A report by Japan’s Jiji News on Tuesday said the Japanese defense ministry is set to deploy a surface-to-air missile defense system unit in Yonaguni Island, which is part of the Okinawa prefecture.

According to ministry spokesperson Takeshi Aoki, the deployment of the missile defense unit is part of an effort to expand the Ground Self-Defense Force Camp on the island and reinforce the defense capabilities of Japan’s southwestern islands.

This follows the Japanese government’s unveiling of its biggest military build-up since World War Two with a $320 billion plan to buy missiles that are capable of striking China amidst tensions in the region, as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

On Wednesday, the Yomiuri daily reported that Japan and the United States are making arrangements to hold a summit between Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and President Joe Biden on January 13, according to government sources familiar with the matter. The outlet reported that Kishida is planning to discuss Japan’s new security policy which was revised this month during the unveiling of his country’s biggest military buildup.

The January meeting would also mark Kishida’s first summit at the White House since taking office in 2021.

On Tuesday, Kishida hinted at the possibility of holding a snap election before a tax increase for the country’s defense comes into effect “sometime after 2024.”

“We will be asking the general public to take on the burden for an appropriate period of time, starting from sometime after 2024 up to 2027. We’ll make a decision on when it starts, and I think there could be an election by then,” said Kishida on a late-night television program.

Kishida said in an interview on Wednesday that he is “not currently thinking about holding an election next year,” according to the Kyodo news agency. The next national election is set to take place in 2025 unless Kishida calls for a snap election.