Japan has all the technology, but says it will not go nuclear
Since North Korea’s nuclear test, Northeast Asia has been the subject of speculation about a so-called "nuclear domino effect." Japan, which has pursued a hard-line response against the North, is under the greatest scrutiny: it has a record of military expansionism, and it holds the highest level of nuclear technology in the region, along with more than 40 tons of plutonium. The new prime minister, Abe Shinzo, has been positive about amending Japan’s Peace Constitution so that Japan can once again possess a full military. As a result, the launch of the Abe administration several weeks ago has increased speculation that Japan may ’go nuclear.’ Those concerned say that it is highly possible that in response to North Korea’s nuclear bombs and missiles, Japan may produce nuclear weapons in the name of strengthening its military power, along with establishing a missile defense (MD) system and retaining the ability to perform a preemptive strike. Abe, before he became prime minister, said in a speech at Waseda University in 2002 that Japan’s possession of an amount of nuclear weapons necessary for self-sufficiency "is not in violation of the constitution." Some of his foreign affairs and security advisors have said that Japan should be armed with nuclear weapons. Former prime minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, a godfather of hard-line right wingers, caused a controversy after officially raising the necessity "to consider Japan’s nuclear armament." In an article contributed to Sankei Shimbun, Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara urged his nation to arm itself with nuclear weapons to cope with threats from North Korea and China, as he put it. However, Prime Minister Abe said at a parliamentary meeting following the North’s declared test, "We have no intention of changing our policy that possessing nuclear weapons is not our option." And Japanese government officials and experts believe the possibility of their nation’s nuclear armament is dim. Their basis is the anticipated disapproval of the Japanese people, who were, a little over 60 years ago, the world’s only victims of the atomic bomb. An official of the Japanese Foreign Ministry predicted that less than 10 percent of Japanese society would support nuclear armament, statistics echoed by civic groups.However, there still is concern that any further aggravation of the North Korean nuclear crisis may trigger a chain reaction of nuclear armament in Northeast Asia. In a recent interview with The Hankyoreh, Prof. Yoshikazu Sakamoto of Tokyo University and an international political scientist warned that "if Pyongyang aggravates the situation by loading a nuclear warhead onto a missile or using a nuclear bomb, there will be stronger voices demanding the possession of nuclear weapons for self-defense."
