<h1>Defense policy: Japan accelerates military spending and balances US demands with efforts to avoid historical flareups affecting regional ties.</h1> Japan's prime minister is accelerating planned defense spending increases to respond to regional military concerns and to meet US demands for greater defense contributions, while seeking to avoid provocative public acts on wartime history-such as visits to Yasukuni Shrine-to preserve domestic political stability and limit immediate deterioration in relations with China and South Korea.