Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has instructed his defence and finance ministers to hike the country’s defense spending by more than 50% over five years to around ¥43 trillion ($315 billion) — signaling yet another dramatic shift for the pacifist country. US Studies Centre Research Fellow Tom Corben said the latest move a clear signal that the government is ready to break some of shackles that have constrained Japan's military since the end of the Second World War.