Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is considering whether to review the Three Principles of Non-Nuclearization, one of the cornerstones of the country's security policy, Kyodo News reported on the 14th, citing multiple government officials.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. AFP/Yonhap News. 

The Three Principles of Non-Nuclearization, which state that Japan will "not manufacture, possess, or permit the introduction of nuclear weapons," were first declared by then-Prime Minister Eisaku Sato in 1967 and have since served as the principle of the Japanese government's nuclear weapons policy.

The revised three major security documents at the end of 2022, under the Fumio Kishida cabinet, also stipulated that "the basic policy of adherence will not change going forward."

According to government officials, Prime Minister Takaichi intends to adhere to the "non-manufacture" and "non-possession" principles of the Three Principles of Non-Nuclearization but believes that "non-introduction" needs to be reviewed, arguing that it could undermine the effectiveness of the nuclear deterrence provided by the United States.

For instance, it is suggested that if the docking of U.S. warships carrying nuclear weapons in Japanese ports is not permitted, U.S. nuclear deterrence might not be able to function sufficiently in times of emergency.

Indeed, during her bid for the Liberal Democratic Party presidency last year, Prime Minister Takaichi argued that "to gain deterrence through the U.S. nuclear umbrella while adhering to the Three Principles of Non-Nuclearization is a contradiction," and that the "non-introduction" principle should be reviewed.

When asked in the House of Representatives Budget Committee on the 11th whether the Three Principles of Non-Nuclearization would be maintained in relation to the revision of the three major security documents, she avoided a clear answer, stating, "The work is about to begin. This is not the stage to discuss specific wording," leaving open the possibility of review.

Prime Minister Takaichi is reportedly planning to proceed with the review of the Three Principles of Non-Nuclearization in parallel with the revision of the three major security documents.

In her first policy speech to the Diet on October 24th, just three days after taking office, she stated that "it is necessary to fundamentally strengthen our defense capabilities proactively" due to changes in the security environment, adding, "We will begin deliberations to revise the three major security documents within next year."

In this regard, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party is understood to be planning to hold discussions on revising the three major security documents by next spring.

If the plan proceeds as scheduled, the three major security documents will be revised within next year.

Kyodo News predicted that if the Three Principles of Non-Nuclearization are altered, it would mark "a major turning point in Japan's post-war security policy" and "would inevitably invite domestic and international backlash, going against the existing course of pursuing a world without nuclear weapons as the only nation to have suffered atomic bombings."

Yonhap News