Tokyo, Nov. 5 – Tokyo’s government is reportedly reviewing its National Security Strategy to include a provision that would allow nuclear weapons to enter Japan in times of emergency, according to local media outlets that received the information from unidentified sources.
The idea emerged as the leading option in the review, but officials appear to favour keeping the existing Three Non‑Nuclear Principles – that Japan will not possess, produce or permit the introduction of nuclear weapons – unchanged, said a Kyodo News source familiar with the matter.
The National Security Strategy, one of Japan’s three key security documents, is scheduled to be finalized by the end of the year and currently states that the basic policy of adhering to the principles will remain stable.
Local media have reported that the emergency exception is the most advanced proposal, while other sources indicate the government is still debating the scope and wording of the potential change.