Japan Plans Military Upgrades

Japan plans to upgrade five airports and 11 naval ports to better prepare for military emergencies, a government source said on Wednesday.

Details: Recent Chinese aggression has its neighbors on high alert. Almost half of the 16 ports in question are located in Kyushu or the Okinawa prefecture—areas closer to China.

The naval ports will be equipped with docks that can hold large military ships. The airports’ runways will be lengthened to accommodate a wider range of military aircraft. Japan’s Self-Defense Force and Coast Guard will use the sites for drills.

The plan will likely be approved in the weeks ahead, meaning the upgrades could start in the next fiscal year (which begins in April). The project is set to receive $230 million in its first year.

Militarization: Herbert W. Armstrong forecast Japan’s coming militarization decades ago. To understand why, read our Trends article “Why the Trumpet Watches Japan’s March Toward Militarism.”