Are the "Three Non-nuclear Principles" loosened? The Japanese government is considering allowing U.S. nuclear warships to enter the port under a state of emergency

There may be an emergency exception to the "three non-nuclear principles" that Japan has maintained for many years. Japanese media reported that Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae's government is considering including an emergency exception to the "no nuclear weapons entry" principle in the national security-related documents revised at the end of the year, allowing US warships carrying nuclear weapons to enter Japanese ports in emergencies. Related plans are still in the discussion stage.

"Jiji News" reported on the 10th that the government is considering including the exception clause that allows nuclear weapons to enter Japan in emergencies into the three security documents revised at the end of the year on the premise of maintaining the three non-nuclear principles. "Asahi Shimbun" also confirmed on the 11th that the Gao City Government has launched an evaluation of this exceptional arrangement.

Japan's three non-nuclear principles were proposed by former Prime Minister Eisaku Sato in 1967, which include not possessing, not manufacturing, and not allowing nuclear weapons to enter Japan, and were confirmed by a parliamentary resolution in 1971. The focus of this discussion is whether to set exceptions to the third principle in emergencies.

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The Japanese government has discussed similar scenarios in the Diet in the past. In 2010, then-Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada stated in a congressional inquiry that if Japan faced an emergency situation in which it was unable to ensure national security without allowing U.S. ships carrying nuclear weapons to enter the port, the then-ruling government must make a decision and explain it to the people.

When Sanae Takaichi answered questions in Congress in October, she also stated that there was room for review of Okada’s defense that year. Japanese media reported that the Gao City Government is considering formally writing this emergency exception position, which was originally limited to a parliamentary reply, into the third security document revised at the end of the year.

The three security documents are important documents for the Japanese government to formulate national security and defense policies, including the "National Security Strategy", "National Defense Strategy" and "Defense Force Preparation Plan". The Japanese government expects to complete the revision by the end of this year. Whether and how to incorporate emergency exceptions into the three non-nuclear principles remains to be discussed later.