Japan announced a record 8.8 trillion yen ($60.1 billion) defense budget on Friday that seeks to strengthen anti-missile and coastal defenses, continuing the country’s recent focus on military development to counter North Korea’s growing missile arsenal.

The defense ministry’s proposed budget for 2026 represents an increase of roughly 3% on last year’s initial request of 8.54 trillion yen ($58 billion), marking the 14th consecutive year of increasing defense spending by Tokyo with an eye on growing security risks from regional adversaries.

The draft budget does not explicitly mention the DPRK or other countries of concern in the Indo-Pacific region, but