--A calm, realistic approach necessary to "avoid fighting"--
Talking about nuclear possession remains strongly taboo in Japan.
As a country that experienced the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, this is an understandable sentiment.
However, emotions and national security are two different things.
A country cannot be protected by “wishes”; only “structures” can protect it.
This article is not intended to glorify nuclear weapons.
In fact, it is the opposite.
It deals with the practical question of whether Japan should possess nuclear weapons in order to avoid war.
The world order is based on nuclear weapons
The current international order is supported not by ideals or UN resolutions, but by nuclear deterrence.
The major countries possessing nuclear weapons are:
United States
Russia
China
North Korea
France
United Kingdom
What’s important is that nuclear-armed states are not engaged in all-out war with each other.
– If one country attacks first, it will also be annihilated.
– There are no winners.
– This leads to the decision not to attack.
This is the reality of nuclear deterrence.
Deterrence is "the power to have so as not to use it"
The true essence of nuclear weapons is not their use.
– Their unusability is precisely what makes them valuable.
– Their mere existence stops the enemy from making decisions.
– They function as a last line of defense.
Countries without the ability to retaliate are constantly subject to attack simulations.
Japan is not a "protected country" but a "trusted country"
Under the Japan-US Security Treaty,
Japan is considered to be under the American nuclear umbrella.
But this raises some practical questions.
Is America prepared to suffer a nuclear attack for Japan’s sake?
Would Los Angeles be sacrificed for Tokyo?
Would Washington disappear for Osaka?
Nations are not driven by emotion.
Nations prioritize their own country’s damage.
Japan, which does not possess nuclear weapons, is in a "structure that makes it easy to attack"
Today, Japan possesses all of the following:
– One of the world’s leading economies
– Advanced science and technology
– Geopolitically important location
On the other hand,
– It lacks its own ultimate deterrent
– Its counterattack capabilities are predictable
Militarily, it is often viewed as a “country of high value and limited risk.”
Japan is a country where "if you want to make something, you can make it."
Japan already possesses the following capabilities:
– Advanced nuclear technology
– Rocket and missile technology
– Precision machining and management capabilities
In other words,
– It’s not technically impossible
– It’s just not politically elected
Not possessing nuclear weapons is not a matter of lack of capability, but rather a matter of choice.
As a country that was bombed, we can manage nuclear weapons
There are some common counterarguments:
・As a country that was bombed, we have no right to possess nuclear weapons.
However, we can also look at it the other way around.
・We know the horror of nuclear weapons as a reality.
・We understand it through experience, not myth or theory.
・We can treat it as a deterrent, not an emotion.
Japan possesses the conditions necessary to use nuclear weapons with the utmost caution.
Possession of nuclear weapons is a choice of restraint, not belligerence
A country with nuclear weapons does not necessarily mean it wants to go to war.
・Do not attack
・But do not allow others to attack
・Make sure to communicate this intention
Possessing nuclear weapons is the ultimate insurance policy to avoid war.
Conclusion
Ideals alone cannot protect a country.
Power alone cannot protect a country.
What’s needed is:
Facing reality head-on.
Separating emotion from security concerns.
A determination not to leave ultimate responsibility to other countries.
The debate over Japan’s nuclear possession is not about whether or not to possess nuclear weapons, but rather whether or not, as an independent nation, we are willing to make the final decision.