Japan 'should develop nuclear weapons to defend itself'

Japan should develop nuclear weapons to defend itself against China and North Korea, according to the outspoken governor of Tokyo.

Julian Ryall in Tokyo 3:54PM GMT 04 Feb 2011

Shintaro Ishihara, 78, a former actor and author who has been governor of Tokyo since 1999 and has frequently provoked anger among Japan's neighbours, made his latest demand after a diplomatic row sparked by the arrest of a Chinese fishing vessel captain operating in Japanese waters.

"If Japan had had nuclear (weapons), there would not have been any (Chinese encroachment) on the Senkakus," he said. "And North Korea would not have abducted our citizens."

Mr Ishihara is chairman of a group of prefectural governors who have been demanding progress on the issue of Japanese nationals seized by North Korean agents in the 1970s and '80s.

http://www.telegraph...end-itself.html

Continues here:

http://www.telegraph...end-itself.html

LaoPo

Exerpts and quotes by Shintaro Ishihara from the article above:

"North Korea is a country with nuclear weapons, but when the United States had issues with Libya, they bombed Tripoli," he said. "Some children died and that was a tragedy – but Libya changed.

"A more serious approach is needed with regard to North Korea."

<snip>

He has also repeatedly stated that the Rape of Nanjing* was fiction created by the communists in China, while in 2001 he stated in a magazine interview that "old women who have lost their ability to reproduce are useless and are committing a sin."

More recently, he attracted criticism in December for describing lesbians and gay men as "deficient."

* Rape of Nanjing...fiction ? really ? (* Nanjing Massacre in 1937)

Warning! there are very gruesome photos in these links:

http://en.wikipedia....anking_Massacre

&

http://www.history.u...lNanjing046.htm Denying Genocide

LaoPo

And you honestly think they don't have them already ?

And you honestly think they don't have them already ?

...I honestly never thought of that; would the US (or China) accept that, or are there WMD, including nucear weapons, guarded by the US military, on Japanese soil*?

I really don't know

However, the article speaks of "Japan should develop Nuclear Weapons" (themselves).

What a mess in the present world.....

* The government of my own small country NEVER admitted that we have nuclear weapons on our soil; they're there since the cold war, installed by the Americans.

And, we don't like to have them on our soil anymore.

LaoPo

The technology advances made by Japan over the years and their Importance as a virtual aircraft carrier for the states for the same many years, would not preclude the "big ones" being in some hillside in Japan, where they have lived for many years........

The technology advances made by Japan over the years and their Importance as a virtual aircraft carrier for the states for the same many years, would not preclude the "big ones" being in some hillside in Japan, where they have lived for many years........

You didn't answer to the questions...if they have nuclear weapons on their soil or not.

That's odd since YOU asked the question: "And you honestly think they don't have them already ?"

LaoPo

Countries are pretty secretive about nuclear weapons. My guess, and it's only a guess, is that there are nuclear weapons in Japan. I doubt that they under the control of the Japanese gov't, but I am reasonably sure the US has a some there.

If they don't, they aren't too far away.

Japan isn't likely to develop nuclear weapons (not they couldn't do it fairly easily). Their experience with them has been quite negative.

The technology advances made by Japan over the years and their Importance as a virtual aircraft carrier for the states for the same many years, would not preclude the "big ones" being in some hillside in Japan, where they have lived for many years........

You didn't answer to the questions...if they have nuclear weapons on their soil or not.

That's odd since YOU asked the question: "And you honestly think they don't have them already ?"

LaoPo

The word " think" is the key mate.

Countries are pretty secretive about nuclear weapons. My guess, and it's only a guess, is that there are nuclear weapons in Japan. I doubt that they under the control of the Japanese gov't, but I am reasonably sure the US has a some there.

If they don't, they aren't too far away.

Japan isn't likely to develop nuclear weapons (not they couldn't do it fairly easily). Their experience with them has been quite negative.

Very true. Because of the somewhat unfortunate ( if you were japanese) end to WW2, the likely " honesty" over the deployment of such weapons in Japan is undoubtedly questionable.