Tokyo considers nuclear deterrent options as regional security threats grow

Japan needs to open debates regarding nuclear weapons as European nations ramp up their own nuclear deterrence efforts, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told local media on Sunday, AzerNEWS reports.

Citing reports from Kyodo News, the Defense Minister emphasized that discussing the issue has become unavoidable due to a rapidly deteriorating regional security environment. Koizumi stated that Tokyo is now forced to address sensitive topics that were previously pushed to the background.

In his remarks, Koizumi pointed to recent security shifts in France and Finland as key examples. He noted that the Finnish parliament passed a bill in June allowing the transit and deployment of nuclear weapons on its soil, while French President Emmanuel Macron announced in March that France plans to expand its nuclear warhead arsenal.

Japan, which relies heavily on the United States' nuclear umbrella for protection, remains the only nation in history to have suffered atomic bomb attacks. The country has strictly adhered to its "Three Non-Nuclear Principles," which ban the manufacturing, possession, or introduction of nuclear weapons into its territory.

However, internal policy debates appear to be shifting. According to a source involved in national security planning, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's administration expressed the view last December that acquiring independent nuclear capabilities could be necessary for Japan. That stance sparked fierce backlash from opposition parties and neighboring countries.

Former Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera echoed similar sentiments late last year, publicly arguing that Japan needs to re-evaluate its long-standing non-nuclear principles to adapt to modern geopolitical realities.