The naive case for deploying U.S. nuclear weapons to Japan

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi addresses the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on May 31. | REUTERS

By Gregory Kulacki
Special to the Japan Times

Oct 30, 2026

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi suggested it would be foolish not to follow Finland and allow nuclear weapons to be brought into, transported through or stationed on Japanese territory.

He made the comment after meeting with Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen earlier this week. But it is Koizumi and other Japanese experts and officials making this argument who are naive. Bringing U.S. nuclear weapons into Japan won’t help make the country more secure.

Japanese leaders would not control those weapons. They would remain under the command of the U.S. president. If they were in Japan today, Donald Trump would determine when and how those nuclear weapons were used.

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