Imagine hundreds if not thousands of enemy missiles and artificial intelligence-enabled drones speeding toward your country, some at hypersonic speeds, capable of overwhelming your air defenses.

For most of us, it's just a nightmare scenario, at best the stuff of action or sci-fi blockbusters.

But for Japan’s top uniformed military officer, reinforcing the country’s defense capabilities to counter these complex and diverse threats is not just a concern, it’s become one of his top priorities.