Nuclear Ambition of Japan

The international community is keyed up by the rumour going around that Japan has stockpiled a considerable amount of plutonium. Japanese Kyodo News Service reported that the United States is now demanding that the Japanese government return nearly 300 kg of weapons-grade plutonium it had supplied to the latter during the Cold War, and that the amount is enough to make 40-50 nuclear weapons. It was also revealed recently that Japan has stockpiled 44 tons of plutonium which can be used to make over 5 000 nukes.

These are dangerous facts that cannot be looked over with folded arms.

The Japanese authorities claim that the stockpile of plutonium is intended for scientific studies and operation of reactors for peaceful purpose, but this simply does not hold water. Although it is true, it is unnecessary for them to have such a large quantity of plutonium, which is far excessive in amount to be used in power generation.

Experts are also doubtful about Japan’s persistence in stockpiling of plutonium, because even the countries with developed nuclear technology are trying to pull out of the risky atomic energy industry based on plutonium with so many controversial problems of the cost, safety and the like.

It is indisputable that Japan pursues a dishonest purpose. The point at issue is that it aims at realizing its nuclear armament at any moment with the stockpiled plutonium.

Nuclear armament is Japan’s unaltered ambition and strategic goal of becoming a military giant. During World War II Japan had persisted in developing and using nuclear weapons. But, contrary to its intention, it fell victim to nuclear holocaust. Japanese militarists insisted that the defeat of Japan during WWII was ascribed to their failure in possessing nukes, almighty weapon in their conception, and thus has continuously maneuvered to have them.

In 1957 the then Prime Minister Kishi Nobusuke mentioned that his country did not rule out its possibility of nuke possession, and PM Sato Eisaku in 1964 revealed the eagerness for nuclear armament. To this end, Japan secretly drew up plans of nuclear weapons and enlisted a huge scientific and technical forces and funds in their development. It studied and developed systematically technologies and facilities for nuke production, while continuously stockpiling plutonium.

Along with this, Japan actively cooperated with the US in its implementation of nuclear strategy and committed its territory to the US as its nuclear base. Though it vociferously advocated “three non-nuclear principles” outwardly, it made a secret promise with the US conniving at the nuke shipment into Japan by the latter’s troops, thus allowing the US warships and airplanes loaded with nuclear weapons to have free access to Japan.

This being the fact, Japan pretended that it held fast to the “three non-nuclear principles,” while having a heavy axe to grind over the allowance for the US nuclear shipment and deployment. That is, it had a sinister intention of accelerating its nuclear armament under the US patronage.

As a result of its persistent moves, Japan is now amply capable of manufacturing, possessing and using nuclear weapons. The US has already recognized the possibility of Japan’s possession of nukes. Japanese high-ranking politicians officially acknowledged that Japan has a determination and technical capabilities as well to make thousands of nuclear weapons at will. Now, what Japan has only to do is to make them. For this reason, it has been stockpiling plutonium more than it needs.

In recent years Japan’s moves for arming itself with nuclear weapons have become more undisguised.

The Japanese authorities are beside themselves with their attempts to create social atmosphere and legal environment favourable for nuclear armament. A typical example is the revised “Atomic Energy Act,” in which it is stipulated that atomic energy “contributes to the security of the state.” It means Japan is going to openly arm itself with nuclear weapons under the pretext of the stipulation. It can be said that Japan’s attempt at nuclear armament has become formal and legalized.

Japan’s nuclear armament is neither a prediction nor an assumption. When there happened an accident at Fukushima Atomic Power Plant in 2011, the mass media and experts, referring to the delay of the relief work, the discovery of an underground tunnel on the spot and the like, commented that it would be possible Japan had a secret institute devoted to its development of nuclear weapons and it might have already made nuclear weapons.

In the light of the facts revealed, Japan’s possession of nuclear weapons is an actual possibility.

Then, why does Japan persist in its attempt at nuke possession?

That is why the Japanese militarists strive hard to realize their wild ambition of overseas aggression and world domination by dint of nuclear weapons. Herein lies the danger of Japan’s storing up of plutonium.

It is as plain as noonday to everyone that Japan, which had been engrossed in aggression and war and committed frantic acts of bloody slaughter in the Asia-Pacific region without nukes in the past, will go to what extent when it has those terrible weapons.