Japan plans to develop nuclear weapons?

A daily newspaper in Japan yesterday morning cited the government's private documents, saying authorities have recently considered the possibility of developing nuclear warheads.

The Sankei newspaper said experts at some government organizations concluded that it would take at least three to five years to create the first atomic weapon model. They also estimate the cost of this project ranges from 1.68 to 2.52 billion USD and requires the participation of several hundred engineers.

Japan's Mihama Nuclear Power Plant in Fukui Prefecture.(Photo: AP)

According to the daily newspaper, the experts did not say whether Japan developed nuclear weapons but only gave what the project required. The Sankei newspaper also published a summary of the government's internal documents dated September 20, entitled "About the possibility of developing nuclear weapons in the country".

Japan was the only country in the history of the world that had ever been attacked by nuclear weapons in 1945. During the past decade, the country has always implemented a strict policy of not owning or developing. Nuclear weapons, and do not allow the deployment of this destructive weapon in the territory.

However, this position has become a much discussed topic since North Korea first tested its nuclear weapons on October 9. A few months ago, Pyongyang shot seven missiles of all kinds, including a Taepodong-2 that could carry a nuclear warhead. These two events caused profound fears in Japan.

Some politicians in the rising sun suggested that Japan should talk about starting a nuclear weapons program after the shocking test of North Korea's neighboring East Asia . Prime Minister Shinzo Abe once stated that Japan's peace constitution did not prohibit the possession of nuclear weapons for defense purposes.

But the Japanese government also stressed that the country will continue to stick with its policy of prohibiting nuclear weapons in its territory. But the giant plutonium store in Japan's nuclear power plants is an international concern, in part because it could become a target of terrorism or use to make nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile, officials of the Japan Defense Department currently have no comment on the Sankei paper surrounding the issue of nuclear weapons development.

Government