Japanese government officials have agreed on a plan to set total defense spending for the next five fiscal years at 40 to 43 trillion yen, or around 300 billion dollars.

They discussed the appropriate amount after Prime Minister Kishida Fumio instructed ministers to raise the annual defense and other related budgets to 2 percent of the country's gross domestic product in fiscal 2027.

Japan's Lower House has passed a second supplementary budget for the current fiscal year to tackle soaring prices. The bill was sent to the Upper House.

The budget passed on Tuesday totals about 28.9 trillion yen, or about 209 billion dollars, including funding for measures to ease the burden of surging electricity and gas bills for households and companies.

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio is ordering a significant increase in defense spending in five years. It comes as the ruling coalition has been raising concerns about security around Japan.

Kishida met with the defense and finance ministers on Monday. He told them he wants defense spending to rise to 2 percent of Japan's GDP in fiscal 2027.

Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has instructed ministers to raise the annual defense and other related budgets to 2 percent of the country's gross domestic product in fiscal 2027.

Kishida met with Defense Minister Hamada Yasukazu and Finance Minister Suzuki Shunichi on Monday evening. He told them he will decide how to ensure an increase in defense spending after reviewing both revenue and expenditures by yearend. He urged the two to discuss the matter with the ruling coalition parties.

The Japanese government has approved a record draft budget worth more than 106 trillion yen, or about 1 trillion dollars, for the next fiscal year.

The plan was approved at a cabinet meeting on Monday.

NHK has learned the details of the Japanese government's extra spending package. The third supplementary-budget draft is aimed in part at tackling the coronavirus pandemic. It's worth more than 19 trillion yen, or 184 billion dollars, and covers the current fiscal year that ends March 31.

The government plans to finalize the draft on Tuesday.

NHK has learned that Japan's defense budget for fiscal 2021 is likely to be around 51 billion dollars -- a record high. The budget would be higher for nine years in a row.

The Defense Ministry has been negotiating its budget request with the Finance Ministry before the government compiles the budget plan late this month.

Japan's government is drafting its budget for the next financial year. Fighting COVID-19 is at the heart of its plans. It also wants to shift to a greener and more digital society.

Monitoring risks will be a key focus in the budget, as the pandemic casts its shadow over the economy.

Japan's Defense Ministry is seeking a record 52 billion dollar budget for the fiscal year starting in April 2021.

The ministry decided on the amount, which is 3.3 percent more than the initial budget for the current fiscal year, at a meeting on Wednesday attended by Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo.

Japanese lawmakers have passed a second supplementary budget to blunt the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Upper House approved the bill on Friday. The package is worth a record 31.9 trillion yen, or almost 300 billion dollars.

Japan's Upper House budget committee approved a second supplementary budget for the current fiscal year on Friday to respond to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. The budget is expected to be enacted in the afternoon at a plenary session.

The economic package is worth 31.9 trillion yen, or more than 298 billion dollars, a record for a supplementary budget.

Japan's Diet has approved a supplementary budget for fiscal 2020 to fund an emergency economic package to deal with the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. It includes a cash handout of 100,000 yen, or 940 dollars, for all residents.

The Upper House passed the budget bill at its plenary session on Thursday following unanimous approval by the chamber's Budget Committee earlier in the day. The bill cleared the Lower House on Wednesday.

Japan's Finance Minister Aso Taro has called on Diet lawmakers to swiftly approve a supplementary budget bill to implement emergency economic measures.

The extra budget for the current fiscal year will partially fund a stimulus package worth 117 trillion yen, or about 1.1 trillion dollars, to shore up Japan's economy, which has been severely affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The package includes a cash handout of 100,000 yen to all residents in the country.

The Japanese government has submitted to the Diet a supplementary budget plan aimed at easing the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

The government on Monday submitted the bill worth more than 230 billion dollars for the fiscal year that began on April 1. It will partly fund an emergency economic package worth 1.1 trillion dollars.