Japan concerned at weakening of U.S. nuclear umbrella

Monday 14th September, 07:01 AM JST

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inkjet at 12:48 PM JST - 14th September

tkoind2 at 09:37 AM JST - 14th September

Now what more could you ask for?

self righteous moral superiority?
stirfry at 02:30 PM JST - 14th September

the old saying "be careful what you wish for, you might get it" might apply here
Midnightpromise at 02:44 PM JST - 14th September

This entire nuclear weapons issue will be overcome by events when Obama starts his 2nd term in office and the world is at peace and no longer has a need for such destructive weapons.
timorborder at 02:58 PM JST - 14th September

This entire nuclear weapons issue will be overcome by events when Obama starts his 2nd term in office and the world is at peace and no longer has a need for such destructive weapons.

Will that be before or after the world is overrun with flying pigs?
WMD at 07:21 PM JST - 14th September

Thanks japan I've had a good laugh at this! This is the country that every year has its happy victim day where some talking head drones on about the evil of nuclear weapons. And now we have this highly amusing story. Really. you couldn't make it up!!**
smithinjapan at 07:55 PM JST - 14th September

While I am 100% against nuclear weapons and have in the past respected Japan's anti-nuclear stance, even I have to admit this is hilarious and completely see-through.

"The commission, established at the initiative of Australia and Japan, aims to reinvigorate international efforts on nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament."

So they are quite literally 'spear-heading' the whole initiative with Australia, and yet, the article, with them worried about the RESULT of said initiative. The ex-foreign Minister of Aus. had it bang on when he spoke about the hypocrisy of Japan.

Beyond that, LFRAgain said it best.
Athletes at 08:02 PM JST - 14th September

Japan has technology and expertise to make the nuclear weapons. However it is not allowed to make WMD or large scale arm forces according the constitution. Japan constitution was written by post war US general Douglas Macarthur and associates.

If Japan is allow to amend the constitution, there will be more nations want to rush to stock pile the nuclear war heads. It is not an interest for anyone. History has refrained Japan and Germany to keep humbleness and low profile instead of aggressiveness.
jessssicaaa at 08:59 PM JST - 14th September

Japan you were nuke free in the beginning, why not stay that way? and get the US to bugger off. 1 to there own country and 2 let japan be japan.
SEPTIMUS at 10:08 PM JST - 14th September

I would prefer to see Japan pulled off completely from the U.S. nuclear umbrella as well as the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Japan. Japan needs to be in charge of its own security as the current #2 economic power in the world, nuclear and conventional... so I can sit back and laugh at what happens next.
pathat at 12:32 AM JST - 15th September

LFRAgain wrote:

"Japanese officials later issue the following statement: "While we feel perfectly comfortable in browbeating the rest of the world regarding the evils of nuclear war and the need to eliminate nuclear weapons entirely, and experience no reservations whatsoever in unabashedly leveraging our unique status as the world’s only victim of nuclear weapons to lend legitimacy to our righteous indignation, we feel no shame whatsoever in publicly expecting the United States to maintain an aggressive first-strike nuclear stance in our stead.

We believe that by allowing the United States to act as a stand in -- a surrogate, if you will -- for our unvoicable nuclear ambitions, we can successfully dilute, obfuscate, and deflect international criticism away from Japan and what may be regarded by those less enlightened as a hypocritical stance towards the place of nuclear weapons in the modern world.

For those who may be experiencing difficulty in reconciling what may appear on the surface to be two entirely irreconcilable differences, I highly recommend you familiarize yourselves with the following linguistic terms critical to comprehending the seeming ephemera that is the inscrutable Japanese mind: ‘honne’ and ‘tatemae.’ Thank you."

This needed to be posted again so it doesn't get lost in the many posts.

There are many times I disagree with you, LFR, but you're right on the money this time.
Fadamor at 03:35 AM JST - 15th September

If the U.S. fully withdrew from Japan and took their "umbrella" home with them, then all the Asian countries who were the victims of Japan's aggression in the early 20th century would finally feel free to retaliate. I think the DPJ is starting to consider that possibility now that the election is over and all that talk about "less U.S. ties and more East Asian ties" isn't needed anymore to dupe the voters.
Fadamor at 03:46 AM JST - 15th September

After looking at the Japanese Constitution and how difficult MacArthur and friends made it to be changed, I think we SHOULD withdraw all our forces. The lack of the U.S. "security blanket" might rouse the Japanese voters from their resistance to making changes to their Constitution... if only to allow them to be able to defend themselves on their own.
Seiharinokaze at 01:13 PM JST - 15th September

Doesn't Japan simply suggest that it should not be until the U.S. and Russia and China reduce their nuclear weapons substantially and the North Korea abolishes its nuclear program that Japan and others can pursue the proposal to urge the U.S. to limit the role of nuclear weapons to deterrence only and seek no first-strike commitments? Fight one evil with a borrowed evil without having them. It's part of the nuclear disarmament issue from the standpoint of a have-not surrounded by haves.
BlackOut at 05:34 PM JST - 15th September

why worry? for as long as china is here and keep getting stronger, the USA will never leave japan and s.korea. she will always update her WMD system in this 2 countries.
funkymofo at 06:41 PM JST - 19th September

Nice one LFRAgain, and well played pathat. Gareth Evans is a great statesman, was considered by many as the likely successor to Boutros-Ghali (or was it Kofi Annan?) at the UN for a while. Also ex Attorney General, head of the International Crisis Group, expert on Aus. constitutional law as well as a strong civil libertarian. I'm sure he and the ex-Japanese FM have altruistic aims, but they run the risk of becoming bogged down in the cesspool of Japanese politics- as LFRAgain said, the Honne and Tatemae. Good luck, they may need it.