Japan Should Scrutinise the Credibility of the US Nuclear Umbrella: An Interview with Shigeru Ishiba

Shigeru Ishiba is a heavyweight in Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party and served as Defence Minister from 2007 to 2008. In this interview, he shares his views on the role of nuclear weapons in US–Japan alliance and Japan’s security policy. Especially, he put emphasis on the need to ensure that extended deterrence by US nuclear weapons is always credible, while he acknowledges the miseries of nuclear weapons. In the face of growing threat of North Korea’s nuclear and missile programme, Ishiba also noted that Japan’s policy of not allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons in its territory should be re-examined, effectively casting doubt on the third pillar of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles. Missile defence is another item that he thinks must be strengthened to enhance the credibility of nuclear deterrence. He went on to praise Japan’s plutonium policy as this constitutes ‘potential nuclear deterrence’ for Japan