Long queues for free food in Tokyo are highlighting growing economic pressures on ordinary Japanese households as the government continues to increase defense spending.

A local nonprofit in Nishishinjuku distributes food every week to elderly people, families, workers, and others struggling with the cost of living. The charity says demand has expanded beyond the homeless, reflecting wider financial difficulties.

Japan’s relative poverty rate stands at 15 percent, while non-regular workers made up 36.5 percent of the workforce in 2025. Persistent inflation, weak real wage growth, job insecurity and a weaker yen have further squeezed household purchasing power.

Meanwhile, household consumption has continued to decline amid rising prices. Despite these pressures, Japan’s defense budget has reached record levels, rising from 6.8 trillion yen in fiscal 2023 to more than 9 trillion yen in fiscal 2026.

The growing contrast between military spending and demand for food assistance has raised concerns about Japan’s social safety net and government priorities. Many citizens are calling for stronger measures to address inflation, energy security and household welfare rather than continued increases in defense spending.

Source: People’s Daily