Facing little resistance, the Upper House passed the ¥96.7 trillion fiscal 2016 budget Tuesday as the opposition parties kept their focus on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's next problem: what to do about the consumption tax hike slated for April 2017.
The record-setting budget saw social security spending hit ¥31.97 trillion, up 1.4 percent from the previous year, and defense outlays surpass ¥5 trillion for the first time ever, climbing 1.5 percent.
Abe didn't skimp on defense despite the nation's massive public debt, which at 230 percent of gross domestic product makes it the worst among all developed nations.
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