Japan plans to spend $40-45 trillion on defense over the next five years.

Japan plans to spend 40 trillion to 43 trillion yen on defense over five years beginning with the next fiscal year, which begins in April, according to three individuals with knowledge of the subject who spoke to Reuters on Friday.

That would be a significant increase from the present five-year defense budget of 27.5 trillion yen, raising concerns about exacerbating one of the industrial world's highest debt burdens, which is twi....