Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki and Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki recently voiced strong opposition to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s proposal to revise Japan’s Three Non-Nuclear Principles. Their statements come a day after the governors of Okinawa and Nagasaki prefectures raised similar concerns.
Yuzaki, speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, reminded audiences that Hiroshima was the first city in human history to suffer an atomic bombing. “The long-standing Three Non-Nuclear Principles—neither possessing, producing nor permitting the introduction of nuclear weapons into our territory—must be upheld,” he said. He warned that relying on nuclear deterrence is dangerous and urged the government to seek alternatives.
Mayor Suzuki echoed those sentiments, arguing that any change would deepen Japan’s dependence on nuclear weapons. He highlighted that the principles, first declared in the Diet by Prime Minister Eisaku Sato in 1967, have guided national policy for decades. “We must strongly demand that the government adhere to these core tenets,” Suzuki stated.
These principles were reaffirmed in Japan’s national security strategy approved by the Cabinet in 2022, which declared, “The basic policy of adhering to the Three Non-Nuclear Principles will remain unchanged in the future.” Yet recent reports suggest Prime Minister Takaichi’s administration is preparing to revise key security documents by the end of 2026, possibly adjusting the prohibition on introducing nuclear arms into Japan.
The debate has sparked widespread discussion across Japan’s political and civil society, highlighting the tension between traditional non-nuclear advocacy and shifting security priorities. With the revision process underway, the voices of Hiroshima and Nagasaki—symbols of nuclear devastation—are adding moral weight to the call for disarmament.
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Hiroshima, Nagasaki leaders urge adherence to non-nuclear principles
cgtn.com
