Japan Reconsiders Nuclear Weapons

Shoichi Nakagawa, chairman of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party's policy research council, said that an active debate on developing atomic weapons should be initiated following North Korea’s nuclear menace. Nakagawa, in an interview with a Japanese TV channel, said: “I think discussions should be allowed. To ensure Japan will not be attacked, arguments could be made that going nuclear is one option.”Shoichi NakagawaAs the only country to experience a nuclear weapons attack, even the mention of nuclear weapons is taboo in Japan. Open discussion of the issue is nearly impossible. Japan also holds the unique distinction of being the only country with the technology capable of producing nuclear weapons that chooses not to. Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe emphasized that Japan had absolutely no intention of arming itself with nuclear weapons.