Japan has decided not to attend an upcoming United Nations conference focused on a treaty that aims to ban nuclear weapons, as announced by a senior official in Tokyo. The country considers the U.S.’s nuclear deterrence essential for its national security, implying that participating in the conference could convey the wrong message regarding Japan’s stance on nuclear policy.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi emphasized that Japan’s national security concerns are at the heart of the decision not to join the meeting in New York as an observer, which starts Monday. Hayashi highlighted that, given Japan’s current security threats, nuclear deterrence remains vital for safeguarding the lives, assets, and sovereignty of the Japanese population. Participation in such a conference could potentially suggest a shift in Japanese policy and may conflict with their ongoing efforts towards security, peace, and safety.
The U.N. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, ratified in 2017 and effective by 2021, was established in an effort to avoid future incidents akin to the devastation witnessed during the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan, being the sole nation to have suffered such attacks, has not endorsed the treaty. Government officials argue that the treaty’s objectives are unattainable without the involvement of nuclear-capable countries.
Hayashi argued that Japan observing the conference could disrupt its advocacy for reinforcing the non-proliferation treaty and could undermine nuclear disarmament initiatives. Still, details on Japan’s subsequent actions remain unspecified. Japanese officials maintain that while they share the aspiration of a world free from nuclear armaments, they must adopt a pragmatic approach in light of escalating global disputes. The commitment to the U.S. nuclear umbrella has drawn criticism from atomic bombing survivors and advocates, who view this stance as contradictory to Japan’s promises.
These groups, particularly the members of Nihon Hidankyo, a grassroots organization supporting atomic bombing survivors and recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize last year, have urged the government to attend the conference as observers. The current Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, known for his expertise in defense and support for nuclear deterrence, favors a transparent dialogue on U.S. nuclear deterrence’s significance in the region. Amid rising tensions with China, Japan has openly stressed the importance of continued U.S. “extended deterrence” in recent years.
