Name: Anonymous 2006-09-06 20:31
According to the Sankei Shimbun Japan's Atomic Energy Commission has announced the nation posessed about 43.8 tons of seperated plutonium in the form of spent nuclear fuel rods as of the end of 2005. In Kaiji Kawaguchi's 1989 manga, Silent Service, Japan and the US enter into a secret arrangement allowing Japan to operate a submarine which carries nuclear balistic missles. That work and his later manga "Zipang" fueled alot of heated discussion in the country regarding Japanese nationalism and a possible secret real world nuclear weapons program. During the Sato cabinet in the 1960's, it is reported that Japan secretly studied the development of nuclear weapons. On 17 June 1974, Japanese Prime Minister Tsutomu Hata told reporters that "it's certainly the case that Japan has the capability to possess nuclear weapons but has not made them." This remark aroused widespread concern in the international media at that time. The nation has the raw materials, technology, and capital for developing nuclear weapons. Many believe Japan could have an arsenal of around a dozen such devices in around years time if they decided to start up a development program today. What's more, analysts such as Charles R Smith point out that such is the technological state of Japan, that they would be capable of creating highly advanced devices (perhaps among the most advanced in the world). They also have very accurate long range delivery systems in the rockets (basically ICBMs) developed for their space program. On Wednesday in Japan The Japan Times reported Former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone said Tuesday that Japan needs to consider developing nuclear weapons, taking into account the presence of nearby nuclear states and the uncertain future of the alliance with the United States.