Japanese right-wingers urge military buildup

Right-wing politicians in Japan are calling for a military buildup as the nation's territorial row with China escalates, analysts warned.

Japan's regional neighbors are showing growing concerns over the nation's rising militaristic shift amid a diplomatic standoff between Japan and China over the Diaoyu Islands, which has historically been China's territory.

Former Japanese defense minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday told voters to support the conversion of Japan's military, which is constitutionally limited to self-defense, into a normal military force.