MARK RALSTON via Getty ImagesJapanese soldiers prepare during an amphibious landing operation with US Forces and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) at the Dawn Blitz 2015 exercise in Camp Pendleton, California on September 5, 2015. Japan's defense ministry has made its biggest ever budget request, as Tokyo bolsters its military amid lingering territorial rows and worries over China's expanding naval reach. The ministry wants 5.09 trillion yen ($42 billion) for the next fiscal year, with the focus on strengthening protection of a string of southern islands that stretch from Japan's mainland to waters near Taiwan. AFP PHOTO / MARK RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)