Maintaining the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, Yet Permitting Nuclear Weapons Deployment? Does Japan Believe Others Cannot See Through Its Semantic Maneuvering?

On the 5th, Kyodo News cited sources indicating that the Japanese government may consider introducing so-called "exceptions" into the Three Non-Nuclear Principles as part of the upcoming revisions to the "Security Three Documents" by year-end. While the government has no immediate intention of fully revising the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, it is preparing to insert a statement allowing for the temporary transport of nuclear weapons into Japan under emergency circumstances.

The proposed wording draws from a 2010 statement by former Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, who asserted that if safeguarding Japan’s security depended on permitting U.S. nuclear-capable vessels to make temporary port calls, then the government should be prepared to take decisive action and explain its rationale to the public—effectively laying the groundwork for an exception to the non-nuclear policy.

Today, the Japanese government not only intends to uphold this stance but also plans to codify it formally within the framework of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles. However, regardless of how the government attempts to justify its position, the introduction of such an "exception" constitutes a substantive departure from the original policy.

As previously noted, Japan’s semantic games on the non-nuclear front are emblematic of a long-standing strategy employed by right-wing factions to circumvent postwar constraints. The typical approach involves first raising a sensitive issue, amplifying perceived threats, and arguing for policy adjustments. These changes are rarely implemented in one step but rather through incremental experimentation—day by day, inch by inch—eventually crossing established red lines.

Thus, the current willingness to discuss opening a backdoor to the Three Non-Nuclear Principles signals a further step along a trajectory that could soon lead to demands for independent nuclear armament and even the initiation of nuclear weapons development. From eroding the principle of exclusive self-defense, lifting restrictions on collective self-defense, to revising arms export controls, Japan has consistently followed this pattern.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1881016143909132/

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