Japan: We Need US Nuclear Weapons

By Staff, Agencies

The chief of the Joint Staff for Japan’s Self-Defense Forces, General Yoshihide Yoshida, stressed that Tokyo must develop its domestic arms sector if it is to provide for its own security.

The top Japanese general has argued that his country currently relies on American nuclear weapons for “deterrence” against regional rivals.

Yoshida outlined Tokyo’s defense needs, highlighting its close military cooperation with Washington.

“We cannot maintain Japan's security with our current capabilities,” the general said, adding: “First, we must fundamentally strengthen our defensive capabilities so that we are not underestimated. Second, we need to do what we can to sustain extended deterrence, including through strategies involving US nuclear weapons.”

Yoshida went on to explain that Japan has engaged in “deep dialogue” with the United States for more than a decade on “extending the US nuclear umbrella over Japan,” noting that a deal was struck in June for additional information-sharing, joint training and joint missile response.

General Yoshida argued that Japan is “on the front lines” in the Indo-Pacific, stating that Tokyo and its partners would work to “maintain an international order based on the rule of law” while warning of “provocations by North Korea and China.”

He added that the “strategic environment facing Japan” is driving public support for increased military spending and better “counterstrike capabilities.”