Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Reuters Yonhap News

A senior official in the Japanese Prime Minister's Office (Prime Minister's Residence), in charge of security policy under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, has caused a stir by stating on the 18th, on the premise that it was his personal opinion, that "Japan should possess nuclear weapons."

According to Kyodo News and Asahi Shimbun, the official cited the increasingly severe security environment surrounding Japan, including the nuclear armament and development by China, Russia, and North Korea, and questioned the reliability of the US nuclear umbrella, thus expressing the view that Japan needs nuclear weapons.

Kyodo News reported that the remarks were made during an unofficial interview under a non-disclosure agreement.

It further explained that the official's remarks "mark a significant departure from the government's stance of working towards a 'world without nuclear weapons' as the only country to have experienced atomic bombing" and "could provoke backlash domestically and internationally."

The report also recalled the case of Shingo Nishimura, a lawmaker from the Liberal Party, who was dismissed as a parliamentary vice minister of the Defense Agency in 1999 for making remarks about nuclear armament.

However, the official stated that discussions regarding the possession of nuclear weapons are not currently underway within the Takaichi administration. He also did not provide a clear timeline for achieving nuclear weapon possession.

The official explained the possession of nuclear weapons by saying, "It's not something that can be done instantly, like buying something at a convenience store."

Furthermore, Asahi reported that he also indicated an awareness that actually possessing nuclear weapons would be difficult given the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and Japan's "Three Non-Nuclear Principles."

The NPT regime only recognizes nuclear weapon possession by five countries: the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China. Japan's Three Non-Nuclear Principles are "not possessing, manufacturing, or allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons," as stated by then-Prime Minister Eisaku Sato in 1967.

Prime Minister Takaichi and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party are known to be considering changing the principle of not allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons, which previous prime ministers have upheld, in consideration of the US extended deterrence (nuclear umbrella).

The official who spoke of the necessity of possessing nuclear weapons stated that he is not discussing the revision of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles with Prime Minister Takaichi.

Prime Minister Takaichi, who took office in October, has been advocating for a "strong Japan" and pursuing enhanced defense capabilities and increased defense spending (defense budget).