Should Japan have its own nuclear weapons as a deterrent against security threats or should it rely on the U.S. nuclear umbrella?

Sunday 19th July, 05:00 PM JST

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sabiwabi at 01:00 PM JST - 24th July

First Japan is not against Islamic countries, rather good friends with them, so they will not attack Japan.

And they did not attack the US on 911.

If China attacks the US, then China's economy will be collapsed, so China is depending on the US economy and also the US is depending on China.

I suspect China is getting tired of lending money to the US to buy Chinese goods. The US is crumbling fast.

China, Russia will never attack the US.

Now they wouldn't such a thing, I agree. But down the road, it might just happen. At that time, I do hope Japan will have the ability to defend itself, with the broken US umbrella.

You must be watching TV too much.

I used to, but it when I stopped doing so that I snapped out of the trance.
Seiharinokaze at 01:42 PM JST - 24th July

It has been pointed out by a number of military experts and world political scientists that the nuclear umbrella doesn't function actually. A nuclear power doesn't attack another nuclear power and doesn't secure its allies by the nuclear umbrella if it means to risk its own existence. That's why France, Britain and China developed their own force de frappe not believing in the nuclear umbrellas either by the U.S. or the USSR. North Korea is just emulating them. They all know that the nuclear umbrella is no more than a hegemonical trick for a nuclear super power state to subject a non-nuclear country to its will. If China believes so and dares attack Japan, will America send a missile to China as retaliation? If the U.S. counts it against its national interests to guard Japan against huge powerful China, wouldn't America take action in some way or other to nullify the security treaty? That is, Mr. Ito argues, what Japan should wake to and take into earnest consideration, though my bottom line is not necessarily the same as Mr. Ito's.

Anyway, it is common, though tacit, knowledge that the U.S. does not allow Japan to have its own autonomous defense capability. And China welcomes it. Didn't Kissinger say to Zhou in his first visit to China in 1971 that the presence of U.S. troops on Japan helped to restrain the Japanese rather than the reverse? It's in the interests of both the U.S. and China to keep Japan under control.

The next year when Nixon visited China, he also argued that Beijing should accept the US-Japan security treaty because it gave U.S. influence over Tokyo on such matters as Taiwan policy. The U.S. would restrain the Japanese from going to military expansion. It seems as if, in the context of the Far East, the US-Japan security treaty with its nuclear umbrella exists for containing Japan rather than defending it and serves also as a kind of America's diplomatic tool with China.
kinniku at 04:47 PM JST - 24th July

Seiharinokaze,

Anyway, it is common, though tacit, knowledge that the U.S. does not allow Japan to have its own autonomous defense capability.

Umm...that is not common knowledge in as much as it is certainly not established fact. Certainly not now in 2009. If the Japanese Government were to ask the US to leave, they would. The reality is that it certainly seems that the majority of the Japanese people do not wish this to happen if it means that their own sons and daughters would take the place of US troops. Bottom line, if Japan asks the US to leave, they will. They haven't asked so the US hasn't left.

Lastly, what you keep insisting you assume happened (based on one book written by people who seem to have an unrealistic hate on for the US) has not as yet, been shown to have happened and you certainly have not shown that any of it is US policy now in 2009.
kinniku at 04:54 PM JST - 24th July

And they did not attack the US on 911.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We know...you think the Jews did it or is it the US did now? Maybe you now think it was aliens from outer space? I don't know which conspiracy bandwagon you are bumping around on today... Anyway, the poster was not asking for your continued fantasies...they were attempting to talk about reality with you.

The US is crumbling fast.

Yeah...sure it is. You are more convincing when you attempt to talk about the moon landing being faked and that is not saying very much...

Now they wouldn't such a thing, I agree. But down the road, it might just happen.

Yes, and the sun might explode tomorrow and turn everyone into vapor...Of course you are not even aware of Japan's high level of self-defence capabilities. Even without the US's help Japan's military technological might is absolutely nothing to sneeze at. You seem to be under the very mistaken impression that Japan is completely reliant on the US for its own protection. Hopefully China and Russia never make such a silly mistake. They would be sorry...

so that I snapped out of the trance.

...and snapped right into another one apparently...
sdf_crew_member at 06:44 PM JST - 24th July

In modern world to be a sovereign nation means to have a nuclear weapon and not have foreign bases on its soil. I think Japan should have one or at least have an ability to quickly make it if needed.
hworta269 at 11:54 PM JST - 24th July

Japan has a pretty good self defense force, they have the second largest defense budget in the world I think also and that is capped at three percent of their GDP. Japan has the technology to go nuclear literally overnight and the IT industry to churn out all kinds of high tech weaponry, they buy from America to save money on R&D, not because they cant do it themselves.
hworta269 at 01:08 AM JST - 25th July

I think if America is going to let Iran, North Korea and anyone else then why not Japan also.
apecNetworks at 04:04 AM JST - 26th July

From my perspective, the ability of the SDF to secure the surrounding water territory of Japan is the first priority - Japan still have a lot of work in this area. Nukes would be disruptive, so extreme analysis of repercussions would have to be calibrated. If the UN Hdqtrs. was relocated to Japan, nukes would be a non issue - radical view.
Kuroyama at 01:18 PM JST - 26th July

I think that in the best Bush Doctrine way Japan repeatedly demonstrates that it will do what it wants, when it wants, and doesn't care about world opinion. Knowing this, would YOU trust Japan with nuclear warheads? I would sooner trust TEHRAN with warheads than I would TOKYO. (Read: not at all). It's not about maintaining hegemony, its about the safety of the human race. To those who think Japan can be entrusted with it... simply haven't lived here long enough. Or are Japanese and haven't lived abroad long enough. Perhaps in another 100 years the issue should be reopened for discussion. But, for now count my vote with a resounding: "No".
Sarge at 02:55 PM JST - 26th July

"U.S. nuclear umbrella"

This means if Japan is attacked with nuclear weapons, the U.S. will retaliate against the country where the nuclear attack on Japan originated, killing, maiming and sickening who knows how many.
apecNetworks at 04:16 AM JST - 27th July

To Seiharinokaze:

Concerning your thesis on a particular deal cut between the US and the PRC during the Nixon Administration, I have info that would fill in a couple blanks to your argument, but you will find very few fans in East Asia academic departments in the US. The present climate reminds me of "Plato's Cave". For Japan's OVERALL security, nukes would be a problematic, dangerous path to pursue at this moment. However, R&D should be well funded_

ciao
TokyoHustla at 06:55 AM JST - 27th July

Japan already has nuclear weapons.
Sarge at 07:24 AM JST - 27th July

"Japan already has nuclear weapons"

And you know this because...?
TokyoHustla at 05:23 PM JST - 27th July

And you know this because...?

Don't worry about it.
Asara at 10:15 PM JST - 1st August

Why today usa and russia are disarming or decreasing nuclear arsenals because there is inevitable trend of multipolar global political trend is dominating everywhere whatever whichever you want. So as growing global disbalacning threat of chinese economic and nuclear uncontrolled growth needs another asian balance power with sufficient nuclear forces. Japan must develop its nuclear arsenal at least to the not exceeding level of those of other to "nuke empires".