# US‑Japan alliance

A Costly Gamble: Japan’s Takaichi Retreats After US Demand for Bigger Defence Bill

Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, quietly scaled back hawkish rhetoric after a visit from a senior US defence official who urged Tokyo to boost defence spending toward 5% of GDP. The encounter exposed the strain between Washington’s demand for greater burden‑sharing and Japan’s domestic politics, while Beijing’s export controls and military pressure limit Tokyo’s room for manoeuvre.