Japan's prime minister is facing harsh questions and criticism over a major security policy shift. Lawmakers are back in the Diet for the first week of the new session. They're focused on Kishida Fumio's push to boost spending to enhance defense capabilities.

The prime minister says neighboring countries are posing growing security challenges for Japan. So last month, his Cabinet approved increasing defense spending to more than 330 billion dollars over five years.

It also approved acquiring counterstrike capabilities under the security policy. Tax hikes would cover part of the increased spending.

The largest opposition party is against paying for it that way. The Constitutional Democratic Party is also criticizing Kishida for making changes to the policy without first holding discussions in the Diet. The party argues gaining counterstrike capabilities and the spending increase contradict Japan's defense-oriented policy.

Kishida disagrees. He says counterstrike capabilities are limited and will only be exercised for self-defense.