Summary
- PM office source raises nuclear weapons debate
- Comments clash with Japan’s non-nuclear tradition
- Security concerns driving renewed discussion
Japan’s long-standing stance on nuclear weapons has come under renewed scrutiny after a source within the prime minister’s office suggested the country may ultimately need to possess nuclear arms, comments that risk sparking political backlash both domestically and internationally. Kyodo reporting.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, the source — who is involved in shaping security policy under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government — said Japan should consider nuclear weapons in principle, while simultaneously acknowledging that such a move would be highly impractical. “I think we should possess nuclear weapons,” the source said, adding that “in the end, we can only rely on ourselves,” while stressing that nuclear armament is not something that could be achieved quickly.
The remarks come as Prime Minister Takaichi, known for her hawkish views on national security, weighs whether to review Japan’s Three Non-Nuclear Principles, which prohibit the possession, production, or introduction of nuclear weapons. First articulated by then-Prime Minister Eisaku Sato in 1967, the principles became a cornerstone of Japan’s postwar identity. Sato later received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1974 for his role in promoting nuclear restraint.
Any attempt to revisit Japan’s nuclear policy remains deeply controversial. Public opposition is rooted in the country’s pacifist constitution and its unique historical experience as the only nation to have suffered atomic bombings. The issue also conflicts with Japan’s longstanding diplomatic commitment to nuclear disarmament, a cause strongly supported by survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
At the same time, critics note that Japan already relies on the U.S. nuclear umbrella for deterrence, a dependence some argue sits uneasily alongside the non-nuclear principles. This tension has periodically resurfaced during periods of heightened regional security risk.
The prime minister’s office source said there had been no direct discussion with Takaichi on formally revising the principles. Still, the comments have revived memories of past political fallout: in 1999, then parliamentary vice defence minister Shingo Nishimura was dismissed after suggesting Japan consider nuclear armament.
For now, the remarks underscore the growing strain between Japan’s historical pacifism and evolving regional security realities.
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When these guys are your near neighbor …
Anyway, more near term, the BoJ is set to make history today:
This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.