On December 20, 2025, former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told viewers on a live TV program that possessing nuclear weapons would “never be beneficial for Japan.”
Speaking in response to a senior security policy official’s recent call for Japan to arm itself with nuclear weapons, Ishiba warned that such a move would require Tokyo to withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and leave the International Atomic Energy Agency. He cautioned that “Japan’s nuclear policy, which supports its energy needs, will become unviable.”
His comments follow a report by Kyodo News on December 18, 2025, which said a senior official in Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government suggested Japan should possess nuclear weapons—a statement that drew strong domestic criticism almost immediately.
Ishiba’s remarks underscore Japan’s long-standing commitment to non-proliferation and highlight the complex balance between national security and international treaties. As global tensions evolve, debates over defense strategies and energy security are likely to intensify, but key voices like Ishiba continue to reaffirm the country’s non-nuclear position.
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Former Japanese PM Ishiba: Nuclear weapons would never benefit Japan
cgtn.com
