Abstract
In recent years, the Japanese government has accelerated the defense buildup of Japan’s Southwest Islands to safeguard Japan's security interests. At the same time, it is also concerned about peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The defense buildup in Japan's Southwest carries high strategic significance for Taiwan’s security, for if a war breaks out in the Strait, the Southwest Islands will inevitably be affected. The Japanese government’s concerns about their security situation has been reflected in several official security-related documents. However, polls show that Japanese people as a whole hold different attitudes towards related policies. This article aims to explore Japan's defense planning for the Southwest Islands in the past year, including personnel deployments and weapon acquisition, expansion of defense-related infrastructure, protection of Japanese citizens, etc. It also touches upon the complicated nature of people’s attitudes to defense policies towards the region.