Japan Defense Minister

Japan's defense minister has once again drawn attention to the 'nuclear taboo', the long-standing norm against the use of nuclear weapons. The comments come amid renewed global debate over nuclear deterrence and regional security tensions. The precise content and context of the defense chief's remarks are not detailed in available reporting.

Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi is calling for an open national debate on nuclear issues, including the possibility of nuclear-powered submarines. Any move to discuss nuclear options marks a highly sensitive shift in Japan, the only country to have suffered atomic bombings, where postwar policy has long adhered to the three non-nuclear principles. The proposal is drawing attention to how far Tokyo's security debate may go amid regional tensions.