A Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer anchored in Sagami Bay near Yokosuka. [Getty Images]
A Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer anchored in Sagami Bay near Yokosuka. [Getty Images]

Nippon Ishin no Kai, a junior partner in Japan's ruling coalition, has called on the government to acquire nuclear-powered submarines — a move analysts say may be aimed at advancing Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae's security agenda. The proposal in effect calls for revising Japan's three core security documents, which enshrine the country's three non-nuclear principles, and drew a warm reception from the prime minister's office.

Jiji Press reported Thursday that Nippon Ishin recently submitted a policy proposal to the Japanese government focused on strengthening nuclear deterrence, and that a senior official at the prime minister's office welcomed it, saying it "gave the government options."

The proposal, delivered by Maehara Seiji, chair of Nippon Ishin's security research council, is said to include a request to review the "no introduction" principle — one of Japan's three non-nuclear principles, which hold that the country will not possess, manufacture or introduce nuclear weapons. Japan has embedded this commitment in its pacifist constitution and related documents. While relying on the United States' nuclear umbrella, Japan has not allowed American tactical nuclear weapons to be stationed on its soil.

Nippon Ishin appears to be proposing that the "no introduction" principle be revisited to open the door to possibilities such as nuclear sharing with the United States. The party also argued that Japan should acquire nuclear-powered submarines capable of carrying long-range missiles.

The Liberal Democratic Party had long governed in coalition with the pacifist-leaning Komeito, but after that partnership collapsed last year, the LDP quickly turned to Nippon Ishin as a new coalition partner. Nippon Ishin is a right-leaning, strongly conservative organization whose policy direction aligns closely with that of Prime Minister Takaichi. The party has pushed for hawkish security measures, including allowing exports of lethal weapons that were previously prohibited.

Jiji Press reported that when Nippon Ishin put forward its proposals on nuclear submarine acquisition and a review of the no-introduction principle, the Takaichi camp responded positively, saying it viewed the step-by-step realization of coalition security agreements — such as the review of weapons export principles — since the LDP-Nippon Ishin coalition was formed as a welcome development. Jiji Press also suggested that Nippon Ishin's proposal may in effect represent the party moving ahead to realize Prime Minister Takaichi's own intentions. Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjiro had earlier signaled similar openness, saying in December last year that "both Australia and South Korea are seeking to acquire nuclear submarines" and that "it is necessary to consider all options without ruling any out given the changing security environment."

Caution over revising the three core security documents remains strong, however, and most analysts expect the process to move slowly. Prominent LDP figures — including former Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and Hamada Yasukazu, a former defense minister who now chairs the LDP's security research council — have largely distanced themselves from Prime Minister Takaichi's push to revise the documents.

The Japanese government plans to convene an expert panel on revising the three core security documents this autumn.


kate01@heraldcorp.com