The government will spend up to ¥300 million on publicity for the revision of its three security-related documents, planned for within the year, it told the Upper House Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on the 5th.
Part of that money goes to a tie-up with the entertainment agency Yoshimoto Kogyo. A feature page on the government's online publicity site uses a husband-and-wife comedy act — a manzai duo — to make the case for security policy, and a Cabinet Office official said it targets women in their 40s and older.
The government is expanding its security messaging through video distributed online and on social media, and through TV commercials. The official said the Cabinet Office separates younger audiences from middle-aged and older ones, and caps the budget for each at ¥150 million.
Contested policy, contested spending
The three documents set out Japan's defense posture and are due to be revised before the year ends. The spending on selling them drew scrutiny in the Diet while the revision is still being drafted.