On December 18, 2025, a security official in Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s office triggered strong opposition by telling reporters, "I think we should possess nuclear weapons." The remark brought Japan’s Three Non-Nuclear Principles—no possessing, producing or permitting nuclear arms—into sharp focus.
On December 24, representatives of four atomic bomb survivors’ groups in Nagasaki issued a protest statement, denouncing the proposal as an assault on the 80-year journey of survivors who emerged from immense suffering. Tadako Kawazoe, head of the A-Bombs Survivors Liaison Council at the Nagasaki Peace Action Center, warned that pursuing nuclear armament could isolate Japan internationally and urged Prime Minister Takaichi to reject the idea outright.
Earlier, on December 22, seven survivors’ groups in Hiroshima, led by Satoshi Tanaka of Nihon Hidankyo, condemned the remark for undermining Japan’s identity as a pacifist nation and called for the government to reaffirm its nonnuclear stance. Hiroshima Hidankyo chair Toshiyuki Mimaki labeled the official’s suggestion as a denial of Japan’s role within the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty regime and demanded its prompt retraction.
The Hiroshima Alliance for Nuclear Weapons Abolition added that such calls ignore the voices of nuclear victims, while the Hiroshima Congress against A- and H-Bombs formally protested to the government, demanding the official’s dismissal. Across both cities, survivors and advocates emphasize that "the only way to avoid the threat of nuclear weapons is to eliminate them," urging lawmakers to codify the three nonnuclear principles into law.
As Japan grapples with regional security challenges, these protests highlight a deep-seated commitment to peace and the moral weight of history. For many young global citizens and activists, the debate underscores the importance of sustainable security policies that honor the experiences of those who lived through the bombings.
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A-bomb survivors' groups denounce Japan's 'nuclear arms' remark
cgtn.com
