ArrowArtboardCreated with Sketch.Title ChevronTitle ChevronIcon FacebookIcon LinkedinIcon Mail ContactPath LayerIcon MailPositive ArrowIcon Print
Taiwan tensions

Japan nears plan for ammo storage network closer to Taiwan

Exclusive: Defense officials seek to spread out firepower with dozens of new depots

Japan will deploy updated Type 12 surface-to-ship cruise missiles in fiscal 2026. (Photo courtesy of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force)

TOKYO -- Japanese defense officials are weighing a plan to build dozens of ammunition and weapons depots on far-flung southwestern islands in preparation for a potential Taiwan crisis, Nikkei has learned.

Japan has about 1,400 ammunition storage facilities nationwide, but 70% are located in the country's northernmost main island of Hokkaido, more than 2,000 km away from Japanese islands in the East China Sea.

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored Content This content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.

Nikkei Asian Review, now known as Nikkei Asia, will be the voice of the Asian Century.

Celebrate our next chapter
Free access for everyone - Sep. 30

Find out more