The Japanese government's total debt as of the end of December 2025 rose by ¥8.58 trillion from three months before to a record ¥1.34 quadrillion, the Finance Ministry said Tuesday. Of the total balance, general government bonds stood at ¥1.09 quadrillion, up ¥6.27 trillion. Borrowings increased by ¥2.95 trillion to ¥44.1 trillion, while financing bills, designed to cover temporary funding needs, decreased by ¥99.8 billion to ¥100 trillion. Under the fiscal 2026 draft state budget, which is set to be deliberated in a special session of parliament, seen to be convened Feb. 18, the issue amount of new government bonds is slated to reach ¥29.5 trillion, up from ¥28.6 trillion under the fiscal 2025 initial budget. Amid rising interest rates, debt-servicing costs, mainly comprising government bond redemptions and bond interest payments, are planned to hit a record high of ¥31.2 trillion.