Japan should share nuclear weapons with India and the U.S.

We should share nuclear weapons primarily with the U.S., but possibly also with India.

Usually each country is responsible for its own national security. Consequently, nuclear deterrence is also considered a national issue, but it would take Japan many decades to develop its own nuclear weapons. So how can we protect ourselves in the meantime? Sharing Indian and the U.S. nuclear weapon technology, and operating atomic submarines equipped with nuclear warheads together would be an option.

In Japan, however, we have “four anti nuclear principles”: “Japan must not have, produce, or accept nuclear weapons into its borders.” I guess the fourth one is that “These principles must not be contested”. (laughter)

But I believe to arrive at a sensible conclusion as a country, we need to at least be able to start a discussion about the issue.

To ensure stable economic growth in the Asia Pacific region, the Japanese government needs to develop a strategy how to make good use of the TPP (Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement).

If Japan was counted as a negotiating country, Japan and the U.S. would comprise over 90% of the 10 TPP’s member countries and negotiating countries’ GDP.

In past negotiations, Japan has often been overpowered by the U.S. According to TPP rules, Japan should form alliances with countries other than the U.S. India and Korea will also likely become TPP negotiating countries in the future.

National security policies based on alliances

Japan needs to strengthen its resolve as a country, discuss and devise a sensible national strategy in the government and among citizens, and put it into practice.

National security policies based on alliances are becoming prevalent in many countries. To devise a suitable strategy for Japan, the government needs to come up with an interpretation of the Japanese constitution that allows Japan to exercise the right of collective defense as part of a group.