Japan 'should develop nuclear weapons'

Japan's plutonium stocks largely consist of so-called reactor-grade plutonium. For years Japanese government and nuclear industry officials have claimed that reactor-grade plutonium is not suitable for nuclear weapons. This despite the fact that the United States conducted a nuclear weapons test with such material forty years ago and even provided classified data to Japan in the 1970s to prove that it was possible to make nuclear weapons. That was done in a failed effort by the Carter Administration to stop Japan's "commercial" plutonium program. In fact, Japan could make highly sophisticated nuclear weapons with its stocks of plutonium, including that contained in MOX fuel.(2)

That's interesting - maybe this has a lot to do with why no one seems to care that Iran is supposedly aiming for energy production rather than weapons grade... Given the right techniques apparently that could be irreverent. And funnely enough it will be US research that helped.

I understand that Japan is one of three 'latent' nuclear states, the others being Germany and Switzerland.

All three of these states have advanced nuclear technology, considerable stockpiles of Plutonium, high levels of engineering expertise and plenty of money.

All of them *could* develop very effective nuclear weapons very quickly if they wanted to.

Yeah I wouldnt doubt for one second that Japan is capable of building nukes. Im curious as to how the balance of power and the 'arms race' in the area would be effected by japan having them...

Originally posted by Grock
Yeah I wouldnt doubt for one second that Japan is capable of building nukes. Im curious as to how the balance of power and the 'arms race' in the area would be effected by japan having them...

If Japan were to initiate an arms race by producing nukes, or building their own aircraft carriers, or building their own air bombers etc, then it wouldn't be very good.
It would set off a chain reaction of events. China would speed up its military buildup. South Korea would probably go nuclear which would leave a very paranoid North Korea to respond in an obviously disproportionate way also (ie. threaten to bomb Seoul and Tokyo, proceed with her nuclear development capabilities). Russia would probably strengthen her eastern flank (sea and airborne capabilities).

But I could understand why Japan would eventually proceed with an open nuclear weapons proliferation stance. As China grows economically, so will her military continue to grow. China's military is quite modern now but will continue to strengthen. Japan will have to maintain equilibrium through the possession of nukes as insurance (deterrent).

Japan could have a nuke within 6 months. They have the nuclear materiel.
They have the plans The scientist and the industrial capabilty.
they may have even tested a device without a nuclear pit just using a inert metal pit.
and this would still not be enough to be labeled a nuclear weapon.
but would be enough to know if a weapon would work.

All it would take is there government to say DO IT,

If china became a real threat to them i expect they would for self protection.
but i believe they would never give any warning they were doing it.

They would play it like Israel and leak the word unofficially that they MIGHT have one, But claim officially no comment.
This in the case of japan would be for there own people more then for out side countries peace of mind.

This has worked for Israel for many years. It has an unofficial but rigidly enforced policy of deliberate ambiguity.
This has made it difficult for anyone outside the Israeli government to definitively describe its true nuclear policy, while still allowing Israel to influence the perceptions, strategies and actions of other governments.
en.wikipedia.org...
en.wikipedia.org...

[edit on 8-12-2008 by ANNED]

XSilencedxdream did you wrote Europe is a country? Don't get me wrong but this is one of the reasons that everyone in europe thinks amercans are all as stupid as Gorge W. Bush or even worse(don't get me wrong this is not my opinion but you must have noticed that since George W. the whole world thinks 80% of the us population are stupid as #) . EUROPE IS A CONTINENT

Just now noticed that reply, no I wasn't saying Europe is a country. Just went ahead and threw all of Europe into the mix. I'm sure Bush isn't the only reason that overseas they believe we're retarded. I've met my share of euro's that seem like they have a stick up their ass when it comes to the US.

Back to topic- nothing to worry about when it comes to Japan making nukes.

Originally posted by SwordDancer
XSilencedxdream did you wrote Europe is a country? Don't get me wrong but this is one of the reasons that everyone in europe thinks amercans are all as stupid as Gorge W. Bush or even worse(don't get me wrong this is not my opinion but you must have noticed that since George W. the whole world thinks 80% of the us population are stupid as #) . EUROPE IS A CONTINENT

AmerIcans is spelled with an 'eye' in the middle, something you neglected to mention while stupticating our intelligence capabilities.

by the way (looks around conspiritorily...) "wrote" is past tense, not to be used in the present tense while the subject is currently being spoken of.

To put down others is to invite put-downs upon thyself...



Can we get back to the subject please?

[edit on 20-12-2008 by Grock]

reply to post by Underbelly


I couldnt agree with you more.

And, in looking at the situation in that light, maybe Japan should "in secret" build and/or maintain such a program just to counter China's possible future reaction to just such a scenario...

that alone takes it to a whole 'nuther level

According to Gen Tamogami, Washington was aware that an attack was planned against Pearl Harbor in December 1941 but no warning was given to the forces there in order to win over public opinion in the US for a war.

Similarly, Japan's occupation and colonisation of the Korean peninsula, China and Taiwan were beneficial to the people of those countries, assisted in their development and were "more gentle" than the policies of other Western imperial powers, including Britain.

Expressing surprise at the fury his comments have provoked – particularly in China and North and South Korea – Gen Tamogami claimed that censorship and the heavy hand of the Allies after the war led to a "mistaken sense of Japanese history" and the legacy of the modern military being unable to operate in the same way as other nations' forces.

The terms of the constitution have severely limited the scope of action for the Self-Defence Forces overseas, notably in Iraq, with debate in Parliament down to the level of the number of weapons an individual soldier might carry in order to protect himself.

Ya know, I believe whole heartedly that Japan does not WANT nukes. Think of the devastation those weapons caused, many of the Japanese would not wish that level of devastation on any enemy, that combined with the islands small size would make nukes a bad idea. If an emergency happened they could cobble them together with ease though. Plus, they have the most powerful military in the world defending them. They couldn't muster the scale of manpower/firepower the US provides if they wanted too.

Of course if they did make nukes, they'd be cheaper, more effective, more efficient and way more styling. Of course with all the hot Japanese women I'm sure people are really not concerning themselves with nuclear apocalypse so much. Plus their too busy building all the technology that will allow their robots to take over the world, which will be entirely fueled by Japanese school girl panties...