Not Going Nuclear: Japan's Response to North Korea's Nuclear Test

Izumi, Hajime, Furukawa, Katsuhisa, Arms Control Today

Since North Korea's nuclear test on October 9, 2006, there has been considerable foreign speculation that the explosion might prompt Japan to develop its own nuclear weapons arsenal. These views do not reflect the relatively restrained reaction in Japan itself. Although the test helped break a public taboo on discussing the possibility of a Japanese nuclear capability there is little serious desire to replace the U.S. nuclear umbrella with a homegrown nuclear option. Indeed, the discussions themselves may have been aimed in part at shoring up the credibility of U.S. extended deterrence. Rather than relying on nuclear weapons, Japan's security policy seems more geared toward strengthening …

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Publication information: Article title: Not Going Nuclear: Japan's Response to North Korea's Nuclear Test. Contributors: Izumi, Hajime - Author, Furukawa, Katsuhisa - Author. Magazine title: Arms Control Today. Volume: 37. Issue: 6 Publication date: July/August 2007. Page number: 51+. © 2003 Arms Control Association. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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