The governors of Japan's Okinawa and Nagasaki prefectures on the 17th both expressed strong opposition to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's intention to revise the 'Three Non-Nuclear Principles,' emphasizing that promoting nuclear disarmament is the will of the people and that the head of government must respect public opinion.
Okinawa Governor Denny Tamaki said in a media interview on the 17th that Japan is the only country to have suffered atomic bombings; if the 'Three Non-Nuclear Principles' are revised, departing from the path of nuclear weapons abolition, the people will not accept it.
He stated that promoting nuclear disarmament is the wish of the people, and earnestly listening to the voice of the people is one of the Prime Minister's responsibilities. He hopes the government will be extremely cautious in related discussions.
Nagasaki Governor Kengo Oishi stated at a press conference on the same day that the Japanese government has long adhered to the Three Non-Nuclear Principles; revising this principle is an obvious 'regression' and is completely unacceptable to the sites affected by atomic bombings.
The 'Three Non-Nuclear Principles' refer to not possessing, not producing, and not introducing nuclear weapons. In 1967, then Prime Minister Eisaku Sato presented the Three Non-Nuclear Principles in a speech to the National Diet. In 1971, this principle was adopted at a plenary session of Japan's House of Representatives, becoming the government's basic policy regarding nuclear weapons. In 2022, the three security-related documents passed by the Japanese government also clearly stated that the basic stance of adhering to the Three Non-Nuclear Principles would not change.
However, according to reports from Japanese media, Sanae Takaichi is currently considering revising the 'do not introduce' principle of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles when amending the National Security Strategy and other 'Three Security Documents.'