Gov't to admit existence of secret pact on U.S. bringing nukes into Japan

Saturday 21st November, 04:53 PM JST

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Molenir at 11:36 PM JST - 21st November

I don't believe it myself, but that thing about unemployment skyrocketing is correct. In fact I'd suspect that it would go up about 15% initially, then go up even further as the ripples spread through the economy.
cwhite at 12:00 AM JST - 22nd November

15% unemployment rates in Okinawa? What was the population in Okinawa.. I hope 50,000 people don't make up 5-10% of jobs for Okinawa
smithinjapan at 12:47 AM JST - 22nd November

All the DPJ is doing is releasing what they can to make it look like they have a bit of clout without causing utter chaos. They'll win some support simply because they claim they are admitting something that was hidden, but really all this has already been disclosed and it's not really a big deal. Makes the LDP look pretty bad, though, for lying and trying to keep it secret for so long.

Ultimately of course all that's going to happen is that this statement circulates a bit. If the DPJ pushes it too far and hints at too much, the people will demand that all such visits and what not by US ships with nuclear armaments stop, and the DPJ will be in trouble because they either have to listen to constituents and diss the US, or avoid biting the hand that feeds them (or protects them, anyway) and go against their constituents.
hedgehog88 at 02:25 AM JST - 22nd November

It's a typical topic better not to reveal in public as same as another JT article:

61% of wives say they check call, e-mail histories on husbands' mobile phones
SuperLib at 02:43 AM JST - 22nd November

A lot of countries over the years have hosted American nuclear weapons. The weapons are never placed under control of the host nation so the host can (technically) say that they are nuclear free. If a war ever breaks out then the US can simply "transfer" the nukes to the host nation, which probably takes all of 5 minutes.
yosun at 03:48 AM JST - 22nd November

There is a ABC principle for all major powers that suppose you don't have nukes, then others can't attack you with nukes even those who own nukes. It's general nuke ethics for nuke-free area. That's why people hope Korean peninsula to be nuke-free area to keep there stable. So I don't think it's good for JP people so they revealed it on purpose. Anyway, I believe this pact is for nuke armed submarines or planes to enter JP but some nuke shell to really come to install somewhere.
Molenir at 09:43 AM JST - 22nd November

A lot of countries over the years have hosted American nuclear weapons. The weapons are never placed under control of the host nation so the host can (technically) say that they are nuclear free. If a war ever breaks out then the US can simply "transfer" the nukes to the host nation, which probably takes all of 5 minutes.

US has no interest in transferring control of its nukes to anyone. Not even Israel. If war ever breaks out, the US would either pull them out of the nation under assault, or use them, as the circumstances require. Under no circumstances would they 'transfer' them to the host nation.
mizutofu at 04:05 PM JST - 22nd November

US has no interest in transferring control of its nukes to anyone. Not even Israel.

ya, US has only allowed spies to transfer nuclear weapons technology to Israel without saying anything.
Molenir at 11:14 PM JST - 22nd November

ya, US has only allowed spies to transfer nuclear weapons technology to Israel without saying anything.

You mean apart from locking them in jail and throwing away the key? Thats what happened to the last spies caught spying for Israel after all.
YuriOtani at 02:49 AM JST - 25th November

sosareyes, I disagree with you. There was a time it was true after America bombed the mainland flat and killed millions of Japanese doing so. I note it was ok for America to bomb cities of civilians but it was considered a "war crime" for Japan to do the same. This treaty shows how Americans use doublethink in their every day lives. Japan now has a good Maritime defense force with Army and Air force units. North Korea flies junk (it would be a turkey shoot) and any invasion would have to go through our fleet which is superior to Chinese, North Korean and Russian Navies. Then one has to consider that even without American there are the forces of Taiwan and South Korea to help. The treaty is just more of the usual doublethink and was imposed by America on Japan. Shows the heavy hand America has always imposed on Japan from the end of the 2nd war thru today.
tigermoth at 03:49 AM JST - 25th November

YuriOtani, at the risk of sounding terribly non-PC someone has to put you straight. You chaps started the war, and lost the war. Along the way you partnered with Nazi Germany to form one of the most vile and evil spheres of aggression ever seen and plunged most of the world into a world war that cost many millions of lives and untold damage. No matter how you, or anyone else tries to spin it or place blame, these fundamentals are true. In truth, the winners - us - could have taken what we wanted and put the lot of you in camps. Not how we 'roll' of course. Instead we helped rebuild Japan and make it the strong and viable nation that it is today; it has problems sure as any nation does. But there it is. If we want to have our bases and utilize them how we see fit, I think the blood of all those young soldiers - be they American, British, Australian - whatever (not to mention all the Chinese folks your lot murdered)- payed for that use five-fold. Heavy hand? It's nothing in the way that it could have been, and might have been given a different victor in a different era. Cry me a bloody river for your bombed cities of civiliains. Your fellow countrymen shouldn't have climbed into their Zeros and dive bombers on that December morning and started the whole mess then, should they? Reap what you sow. Japan got off d*mned easy.
YuriOtani at 12:27 PM JST - 25th November

tigermoth, so sorry that was was the sins of our ancestors. You may not have heard that there is a new generation in power. One that was not even alive during that conflict. Then there is this secret treaty that was forced upon Japan. What did America threaten to do to Japan? Reoccupy Japan and rule Japan by force? Japan needs to lay down the line, we refuse to grovel before the feet of America. Japan needs to make its own way and not be dragged into others conflicts as it pawns. The secret treaty is a symptom of being bullied by America. The more I hear that because Japan was wrong in the second war due to defeat it will be forever wrong makes me really dislike the American government.
tigermoth at 11:25 PM JST - 25th November

Yuri, you talk as if the Second World War is ancient history and a minor scuffle. It's sixty-four years since the end of this horrible conflict, and many are still alive who either fought in this war, or were affected in some way by it (the cold war, etc.). Your 'ancestors' in this case were your grandparents (depending upon your age). I have two uncles who fought in the Pacific, and a cousin who was killed. Hardly ancient history. The fact that the U.S. still exercises some control over recieving a military 'favor' or two should not be suprising.

From what I've read here, the treaty wasn't really 'secret' and was revealed some time ago. No one is asking you to grovel at the feet of America. I don't think Japan ever really has. In fact, I've found that most Americans seem to have rather a fondess and respect for the Japanese, despite the war. My father was stationed in Japan for training to fight in Korea. He absolutely adored the country and the people, and brought this love home with him. In our yard we had a pagoda and a decided Japanese influence in furnishings.

But rather than your knee-jerk 'I hate the American Government' take time for reflection. If we had launched a suprise attack on the Japanese fleet in Tokyo Bay, killing a few thousand Japanese sailors and sending many of your ships to the ocean floor, then went on a rampage across the Pacific taking island after island, then killed many more thousands of your citizens and soldiers - and perpetrated many atrocities along the way - and Japan finally defeated us to bring an end to this after losing many troops - would you be so willing to forget all in sixty years? Sorry, for the long run-on sentence! Typically the effects - and the wounds - inflicted upon a nation after such a major conflict don't go away overnight - and in the scheme of history, sixty-some odd years is the mere blink of an eye.
Ayesha at 09:30 AM JST - 28th November

YuriOtani I am not an American, but I think that those of us in other countries need to recognize the valuable and irreplaceable role that the United States plays to ensure world stability. The world sometimes needs a policeman, and we need to appreciate the burden that US service personnel and US taxpayers bear to ensure stability on the Korean peninsula, to ensure there is no conflict in the Taiwan strait, and to ensure that Al Quedia is pursued in its stronghold of Afghanistan so I cannot conduct terrorism in New York or London or Madrid or Tokyo. Countries like Britain and the Netherlands and Australia and many others cooperate and support this effort. What sort of contribution does Japan make? It hosts the bases in Okinawa and it has been refuelling warships near Afghanistan, and it has been providing development assitance in Afghanistan. There might be other ways Japan could provide support, but withdrawing or reducing the facilities in Okinawa would be very damaging. If you know a better way of providing strategic stability in the region I would like to hear about it! (And no, expanding the role of Japan to replace the US will not exactly work...ask the people in Nanjing.)
Ayesha at 09:34 AM JST - 28th November

Type - Correction In my post above "so I cannot conduct" should be corrected to read "so it cannot conduct".