The Nikkei newspaper reported that Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi called for lifting the ban on nuclear weapons research in the country.
Koizumi said: "For Japan, this is a thorny issue (nuclear weapons), but it cannot be ignored. It is necessary to encourage the exploration of various measures without taboos, while being aware of the seriousness of the situation."
He noted that France had recently decided to strengthen its nuclear forces, and that Finland had allowed the deployment of weapons of mass destruction on its territory.
He also criticized the opposition, which calls for maintaining the three non-nuclear principles: not possessing nuclear weapons, not producing them, and not importing them. According to him, their position "primarily protects the status quo and leaves the protection of Japan for later."
In November 2025, Koizumi announced the need to equip the Japanese Self-Defense Forces with nuclear submarines.
There has recently been a debate in Japan about banning nuclear weapons from entering the country. Media reports have also emerged suggesting that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party may initiate discussions on the three non-nuclear principles due to a planned review of national security strategy documents by the end of the year.
