There is no country in the world other than Japan that is more surrounded by nuclear weapon states, but at the same time, is utterly defenseless against such weapons. North Korea has conducted four nuclear tests. Having already succeeded in the miniaturization of nuclear bombs, they are now able to attach it to a Rodong-1 missile, which can easily reach Tokyo. In fact, they say that it is now possible to attach it to an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, which can reach the U.S. That is, North Korea can use this to threaten the U.S.

As a result, the U.S. cannot deal with North Korea as before. They are only able to impose some lukewarm economic sanction while rehearsing oft-used words of condemnation, “We cannot allow North Korea to possess nuclear weapons”.

 
The “Nuclear Umbrella” Is No More

China is a nuclear superpower alongside the U.S., and North Korea has been chasing after China’s nuclear development. China possesses over 400 nuclear missiles that can reach Japan and the U.S. As such, for the U.S., confronting China is even more difficult than holding an anti-North Korea stance.

Japan is supposed to be protected under the U.S. ‘nuclear umbrella’ against all of this nuclear weaponry, but the efficacy of the umbrella is coming into doubt. For instance, the nuclear umbrella works so that if North Korea were to launch a missile aiming for Japan, the U.S. would retaliate with its own nuclear weapons on Japan’s behalf. It is, however, highly doubtful to think that the U.S. would risk their own safety to protect Japan.

We may as well think that the U.S. nuclear umbrella no longer exists.

 
Japan, The World’s Most Defenseless Country Against Nuclear Weapons

Japan is completely defenseless in the face of its neighbor’s nuclear weapons. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Japan has the world’s greatest risk of being annihilated.

China and North Korea are planning to use their nuclear weaponry.

If China were to unify Taiwan by military means, there is a high possibility that it would choose to use its nuclear weapons as a deterrent against U.S. intervention.

If it were merely a tool of deterrence, there may still be some hope, but the Chinese military is said to possess plans to detonate a nuclear weapon in the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean in order to destroy the U.S. military’s communications network.

Naturally, the U.S. military’s combat methods during Taiwan emergencies, something that Japan is also involved in, have recently changed. Until a few years ago, the plan was for the U.S. to send multiple aircraft carriers to the rescue, but now that China possesses advanced anti-ship missiles that can potentially sink aircraft carriers, the U.S. has decided not to send their carriers to Taiwan any more.

The U.S. military official in charge of strategies for dealing with China said that the military would first fall back to Guam or Hawaii, then send unmanned scouting drones against mainland China 4-6 weeks later; in the interim, Japan and Taiwan must endure the Chinese Army’s attacks.

Japan really is under risk of annihilation.

Moral Code Regarding Nuclear Weaponry

How would we think of nuclear weaponry from a religious perspective? Master Ryuho Okawa, founder of Happy Science said that as a principle, no one should possess nuclear weapons nor use it. When masses of people die in a nuclear war, it has a great impact on the souls returning to the afterlife and to the process of reincarnation.

There is also a paradox: nuclear weapons, considered ‘evil’ by religion, is helping establish peace through mutually assured destruction. Peace using nuclear weapons if far more preferable than a huge war.

This is exactly why Mater Okawa says that nuclear weapons must be erased using wisdom.

The problem is when autocratic nations possess nuclear weapons. This would indubitably be evil: these nations are not subjected to monitoring by national or international opinion as democratic nations are. Autocracy is dangerous because a nuclear missile launch button can be pressed easily with one dictator’s decision. This is likely to happen with China and North Korea. Japan looks as though it is under a curse, living alongside two such autocratic countries.

Master Okawa said the following regarding the existence of demons:

Deterrence and Abolition Plan for Nuclear Weaponry

Justice lies in stopping China and North Korea from committing the crime of using nuclear weaponry; in the long-term, justice lies in completely erasing the evil nuclear weapons themselves. Below is a detailed plan for Japan to take in order to deter and abolish nuclear weaponry.

1. Possess Conventional Weaponry

First, Japan must obtain the means for counterattack. This would mean for instance, increasing the number of submarines, and holding ballistic or cruise missiles that can be launched from submarines in the direction of China and North Korea for defensive purposes. If Japan possesses the power to counterattack the centers of Beijing and Pyongyang, it will force China and North Korea to think twice.
 

2. Sharing Nuclear Weapons with The U.S.

For nuclear deterrence, the paradoxical decision to ‘possess nuclear weaponry’ is highly plausible. The simplest way for Japan to do this would be to share nuclear weapons with the U.S.

Countries such as Germany have introduced a ‘nuclear sharing’ system whereby they can use shared weapons with permission from the U.S. in cases of emergency. This was introduced in negotiations with the U.S. during the Cold War for U.S. military deployment in Europe, as Germany did not trust the U.S. nuclear umbrella up against Soviet nuclear weapons. Japan ought to do the same.

England on the other hand, is on an equal standing with the U.S. in this shared system. They are setting a good example by unifying forces with U.S. nucler strategies.

3. The Decision to Possess Our Own Nuclear Weapons

It would be much harder for Japan to possess its own nuclear weapons. The U.S. has set a policy stating that Japan cannot hold nuclear armaments, but the Japanese government will soon face a day when they have to convince the U.S. that possessing nuclear weapons is necessary in order to protect the people of Japan.

In the 1960s, French President Charles de Gaulle stated that countries that don’t hold nuclear weapons will be toyed around by countries that do. He persuaded the American President, and acquired his own nuclear missile equipped on a submarine.

In more recent years, India did the same thing. They were long criticized for their nuclear tests starting in the 1970s, but they were able to get permission to possess nuclear armaments as a country outside of the NPT (U.S.A., Russia, England, France, and China). Unlike China, who has been violating the rule of the NPT by largely increasing productions of nuclear weapons, Japan is a country that would follow the rules properly. That is, Japan would still be a very peaceful country even after possessing nuclear weapons.

If China and North Korea continue to threaten regional peace and stability, Japan will need to slowly advance along these three steps. Mere declaring that we will develop nuclear weapons will be a deterrence in itself.

According to interpretations of the Constitution, the Japanese government is allowed to hold nuclear weapons. There are a wealth of possibilities for Japan in strategies against China and North Korea, even before Article 9 of the Constitution is amended.

4. Armaments Reduction Negotiations With China and North Korea

How would the abolishment side of this plan go?

Japan must prepare to have their first negotiation with China and North Korea about reducing armaments. We can say that if China and North Korea were to completely abolish nuclear weapons, so will Japan. We can then aim to spread this worldwide to other countries that possess nuclear weapons, such as England and Russia.

5. Removing Autocracy

If China and North Korea keep to their plan to increase nuclear weaponry, there will arise a need to remove their governmental system altogether.

Learning what good and evil truly are and establishing justice means trying to find a way to bring the greatest happiness to the people of China and North Korea. Master Okawa said the following:

“We must free the people of China. We must free the people of North Korea. They too have the right to be loved by God, and have the right to be respected as children of God. They have the right to become happy . . . I have no hatred in me. The only thing I have in me is love for the world, and love for freedom and prosperity.”

We plan to deter and abolish nuclear weaponry, is not because we hate China and North Korea. It is because we want people of both countries to attain freedom and happiness.

Jiro Ayaori