Japan 's Abe' S Nuclear Policy Paradox

After World War II, in an effort to prevent the re-emergence of war, the Japanese formulated"The Peace Constitution" in1947under guidance of the United States and other countries. Duringthis time the country was still reeling from the effects of nuclear attack. Japan was the onlycountry to have suffered a nuclear attack during the war. So great was the impact and sufferingcaused by the nuclear attack that a "Nuclear Taboo" was formed. The "Nuclear Taboo" restrainedthe government’s possession of nuclear weapons. After nearly70years of peace, the AtomicEnergy Basic Law, three non-nuclear principles and the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT)constitute the three pillars of Japan Nuclear policy.Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party won the election on December16th,2012. Its party leaderShinzo Abe became prime minister. Abe’s government tried to break the constraints of the peaceconstitution of Japan through its security policy. It stockpiled weapons grade nuclear material andencouraged the export of nuclear power technology. Internally, Abe’s government attempted tobreak through the practice of Japan’s three non-nuclear principles and was met with greatopposition from the public and politicians. Externally, regardless of the Fukushima nuclearleakage after the accident and safety concerns, Abe’s government actively promoted the export ofnuclear power technology and called for the proliferation of nuclear weapons. A number ofright-wing politicians also claimed that Japan had the capability to develop nuclear weapons. Thedenuclearization and "nuclear theory" contradicted each other, resulting in the gradual formationof Abe’s government nuclear paradox. Furthermore, Japan has enough weapons grade plutoniumto produce nuclear weapons. It also has a competitive nuclear power industry and one of theworld’s most advanced civilian nuclear programs which in a way have laid a solid technicalfoundation for Japan to manufacture nuclear weapons.Based on the understanding of Japan’s nuclear policy evolution and Abe government’snuclear paradox, this paper took Japan’s nuclear policy and nuclear weapons policy at arms lengthand analyzed it. Abe’s government changed the nuclear policy after the Fukushima nuclearaccident highlighted the dispute caused by the policy at home and abroad. Japan’s nuclear policytrends are worth attention.