Tokyo: Japan has firmly reaffirmed its long standing commitment to remain a non nuclear weapons state after remarks by a senior government official sparked public and political debate over whether the country should consider acquiring nuclear arms.
The controversy arose after the official suggested that Japan should at least discuss the option of possessing nuclear weapons in light of growing security threats in the region. The comment quickly drew criticism at home and concern from neighbouring countries.
Responding to the issue, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said the government’s position was clear and unchanged. He stressed that Japan continues to uphold its three non nuclear principles of not possessing not producing and not permitting the introduction of nuclear weapons into the country.
Japan’s reaffirmation comes at a time of heightened regional tension driven by China’s military expansion North Korea’s missile and nuclear programmes and Russia’s growing strategic activity in East Asia. These developments have led some lawmakers within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to argue for a broader debate on national defence and deterrence.
However the government has moved quickly to contain speculation of a policy shift. Officials said Japan remains committed to its post war pacifist principles and to the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty while relying on its security alliance with the United States for extended deterrence.
Public sentiment also remains strongly opposed to nuclear weapons. As the only country to have suffered atomic bombings Japan has a powerful anti nuclear movement and strong civil society pressure to preserve its non nuclear stance.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has previously faced questions over whether future defence strategies might revisit long held taboos. The latest statement from the government appears aimed at reassuring both the Japanese public and the international community that no such change is underway.
For now Japan’s official policy remains intact but the episode highlights how shifting regional security realities are testing long established boundaries in the country’s defence debate.