Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae holds a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Thursday (local time). [AFP]
Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae holds a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Thursday (local time). [AFP]

Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae has signaled that a review of the country's three non-nuclear principles — including the ban on introducing nuclear weapons into Japanese territory — remains on the table as her government pushes to revise three key security documents by the end of the year.

At a budget committee session of the House of Councillors on Monday, Takaichi said she would "firmly bring all issues to the table for discussion" in connection with the security document revisions, according to local media including the Nikkei. She made the remarks in response to a question from Matsuzawa Shigefumi, a lawmaker from Nippon Ishin no Kai — a junior coalition partner with the Liberal Democratic Party — who pressed her on the need to revisit the three non-nuclear principles.

The three non-nuclear principles hold that Japan will not possess, manufacture or allow the introduction of nuclear weapons, and are regarded as one of the country's foundational security tenets. While Japan relies on the US nuclear umbrella, the principles have long made nuclear-sharing arrangements — such as those NATO employs, stationing US tactical nuclear weapons on allied soil — effectively off-limits.

Nippon Ishin no Kai, in its formal recommendations on the security document revisions submitted to the government, called for "realistic consideration" with an eye toward revisiting the "no introduction" principle, emphasizing the importance of extended deterrence under the US nuclear umbrella.

That position differs from the LDP's own recommendation, which made no mention of revisiting the "no introduction" principle and instead called only for "further securing the credibility of extended deterrence" — in effect endorsing the status quo.

During the committee session, Matsuzawa argued that "clinging to the ban on nuclear weapons introduction could diminish the effectiveness of US extended deterrence."

Takaichi has previously written in her own books that the ban on nuclear weapons introduction is unrealistic, but she has been offering measured, noncommittal responses in apparent deference to skepticism within and outside her party toward any revision of the principles. She also appeared uncomfortable when pressed on the wide gap between the LDP and Nippon Ishin no Kai's positions.

"I was taken aback by the differences in the content of the two parties' recommendations," she said, adding that the work would need to continue "through the end of the year" — suggesting the deliberations over revising the security documents, including any reconsideration of the nuclear introduction ban, would be a lengthy process.

Meanwhile, Takaichi announced she would not attend the NATO summit being held in Turkey through Sunday, sending Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu and Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjiro in her place in order to attend the Diet's budget committee session.

Outlets including the Mainichi Shimbun interpreted the move as an attempt at damage control, noting that criticism has grown that Takaichi has shown serious "disregard for parliament" by using her party's commanding majority — secured after a landslide lower house election victory — to push through contentious policies.


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