Abe tells MSDF fleet Japan will improve its security preparedness

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Sunday his government will try to better prepare Japan to deal with security threats in the wake of North Korea's recent nuclear test while attending a Maritime Self-Defense Force fleet review in Sagami Bay off Kanagawa Prefecture.

"In light of drastic changes in circumstances, it has become a pressing task to further reinforce our crisis management," Abe said aboard the 5,200-ton destroyer Kurama in an address, referring to efforts being made by the government that include upgrading the Defense Agency into a ministry. Calling the North's July 5 missile launches and Oct 9 nuclear test "grave and serious threats" to Japan, Abe said, "We will do our utmost to ensure the safety of the nation and the people in close coordination with the United States and other countries concerned."