Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has said that Japan should discuss nuclear weapons policy without treating it as taboo. Analysts say the remarks hinted at the possibility of a fundamental review of the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles," which Japan has held as a national policy since the 1970s.
The Three Non-Nuclear Principles state that Japan will not possess, manufacture, or allow the introduction of nuclear weapons.
According to the Asahi Shimbun and other outlets on the 19th, Koizumi said on the internet broadcast "Genron Terebi," released the previous day, "It is a difficult issue for Japan to discuss, but nuclear weapons are one of the things we cannot avoid mentioning." He cited trends in Europe, noting that following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, France has been strengthening its nuclear forces and Finland is allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons into its territory. He stressed that Japan, too, should have a sense of crisis and discuss and pursue all policies without taboo.
Japanese media interpreted these remarks as revealing Koizumi's view that the Three Non-Nuclear Principles should not be treated as an exception in the discussions over the three major security documents, which the Japanese government plans to revise within the year. Koizumi did not directly mention a review of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles. However, according to the Asahi Shimbun, he criticized the opposition's stance of trying to uphold the principles, saying, "Isn't it the case that protecting what we have had until now comes first, while protecting Japan is being pushed to the back?"
Japan relies on the U.S. nuclear umbrella, but because of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, a nuclear-sharing arrangement that would place U.S. tactical nuclear weapons within the region, as done in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), has been taboo.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has previously raised the need to review the "no introduction" principle among the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, making it a focal point whether this matter will be addressed in the revision of the three major security documents. Takaichi recently answered a question in parliament about the need to discuss a review of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, saying she would discuss all related issues.
Last month, the coalition ruling party Nippon Ishin no Kai, in a proposal submitted to the government on the revision of the three major security documents, emphasized extended deterrence through the U.S. nuclear umbrella and called for a "realistic review" with an eye toward reconsidering the "no introduction" principle.
