On October 15, 2006, Shoichi Nakagawa, then Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) policy chief, stated on a TV program that "we should have a thorough nuclear debate," which caused a great sensation in Japan and abroad.
Mr. Nakagawa later stated his true intentions in a weekly magazine as follows.
“In the first place, I am not discussing the possession of nuclear weapons. I said, ‘Let's discuss nuclear weapons’. More specifically, I meant to suggest a discussion of nuclear deterrence. That is, deterrence with respect to the peace and security of Japan, including abductions. To shut down the discussion is not right."
On February 27, more than 15 years later, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stated the following on a TV program.
"The three non-nuclear principles exist, but discussion of them should not be taboo. Germany and other countries in NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) are also engaged in ‘nuclear sharing’. We should discuss how we can protect the lives of our citizens while keeping in mind the various options available."
