Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi called for lifting the taboo on discussions about nuclear weapons, Nikkei writes.
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“This is a difficult issue for Japan to discuss, but it cannot be ignored. <…> It is necessary with awareness of the criticality (of the situation) There is no taboo to promote the discussion of various measures,” the newspaper quoted him as saying.
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The minister mentioned that France has recently decided to strengthen its nuclear forces, while Finland has allowed the deployment of weapons of mass destruction.
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The head of the department also criticized the opposition, which demands the preservation of three nuclear-weapon-free principles: not to possess, not to produce and not to import nuclear weapons. In his opinion, the opponents’ position protects what is there now, and leaves Japan’s defense for later.
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In November 2025, Koizumi had already spoken about the need to equip the Self-Defense Forces with nuclear submarines.
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Recently, a discussion has been unfolding in Japan around the ban on the admission of nuclear weapons to the country’s territory. So, in November, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi referred to the parliamentary response of former Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, according to which, in case of an emergency, the principle of “do not import” allegedly implies the possibility of temporary entry into ports of American warships with atomic weapons on board.
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Then there were media reports that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party might start a discussion on all three principles due to the planned revision of strategic documents on national security before the end of the year.
