Since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office, Japan has taken a series of controversial steps aimed at reshaping its postwar security policy, triggering growing concern both at home and abroad. Critics warn that Tokyo's recent rhetoric and actions not only pose potential threats to neighboring countries, but also signal a dangerous drift toward militarism.

Reports recently revealed that a senior official in the Japanese Prime Minister's Office responsible for security policy had suggested that Japan "should possess nuclear weapons." The remarks sparked a blistering backlash across Japanese society, as they directly challenge the country's long-standing non-nuclear principles.

Claim of possessing nuclear weapons draws fire

On Monday, Yoshihiko Noda, leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, again urged Takaichi to dismiss the official involved. Noda said it was fundamentally inappropriate to appoint someone who advocates nuclear armament to a key security post, stressing that responsibility ultimately lies with those who made the appointment.

Concerns have deepened following reports that Takaichi has been exploring revisions to Japan's National Security Strategy and other key security documents, including possible changes to the principle of "not permitting the introduction of nuclear weapons" under Japan's Three Non-Nuclear Principles. Noda warned that such discussions reflect a serious and fundamental deviation in understanding nuclear issues.

Taku Yamazoe, policy chief of the Japanese Communist Party, said that as the only country to have suffered atomic bombings, Japan must never deny its Three Non-Nuclear Principles, calling such rhetoric "absolutely unacceptable." He demanded the withdrawal of the remarks and the removal of those responsible.

Japanese media have also voiced strong criticism. An editorial published on December 20 by the Ryukyu Shimpo said the idea of Japan possessing nuclear weapons represents a grave departure from national policy, adding that such comments, especially from a senior official, deeply hurt atomic bomb survivors and must be firmly rejected.

Reflecting public sentiment, the Hiroshima Prefectural Assembly unanimously passed a resolution on Monday urging the central government to uphold the Three Non-Nuclear Principles. The resolution warned that the tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki must never be repeated and called on the government to respect the local population's desire for a nuclear-free world.

In August 1945, in order to force Japan, which had launched a war of aggression, to surrender as soon as possible, the U.S. military dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In 1967, then Japanese Prime Minister Eisaku Sato proposed the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, namely, not possessing, not producing, and not permitting the introduction of nuclear weapons. Although reaffirmed in multiple policy documents, critics say recent moves have undermined this commitment.

Pushing arms export

At the same time, Japan is accelerating efforts to loosen restrictions on weapons exports. On Monday, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi attended the launch ceremony of the Maritime Self-Defense Force's latest Mogami-class frigate at a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries shipyard in Nagasaki.

With all 12 Mogami-class frigates now launched, Koizumi has openly stated that Japan intends to "market the vessels globally." Earlier this month, Japan's ruling coalition reached an agreement with the Japan Innovation Party to revise guidelines governing the transfer of defense equipment, effectively lifting restrictions on five categories of weapons exports. The proposal is expected to be submitted to the Cabinet in February next year.

The move has triggered strong opposition. Former Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada warned that removing these limits would allow the export of lethal weapons, while Japan's rapidly growing defense budget risks fostering a military-industrial complex.

Yamazoe accused the Takaichi administration of turning Japan into a "merchant of death," arguing that the country should not profit from arms sales and must return to its identity as a peaceful nation.

Peace groups have also mobilized. On the day the ruling parties reached consensus, multiple civic organizations submitted petitions signed by tens of thousands of people to the Diet, opposing the deregulation of lethal weapons exports.

Advancing military buildup in southwestern islands

Japan is also intensifying military deployments in its southwestern islands, a move analysts say has clear offensive implications.

On Sunday, Koizumi visited the Ground Self-Defense Force's Ainoura base in Sasebo, where he claimed that Japan's security environment is deteriorating and that strengthening defenses in the southwest was "urgent." He added that Japan will further strengthen its deterrence and response capabilities.

Japan formally shifted its defense focus southwestward as early as 2010. Under the Takaichi administration, the process has accelerated.

On November 23, Koizumi visited Okinawa, confirming that plans to deploy Type-03 surface-to-air missile units on Yonaguni were progressing rapidly. Meanwhile, it also plans to deploy extended-range Type-12 anti-ship missiles in Kumamoto Prefecture. Japanese media reported that on December 15, the Defense Ministry signed a land lease agreement to deploy radar units on Kita-Daito Island, about 360 kilometers southeast of Okinawa's main island.

Observers note that the rise of right-wing forces within Japanese politics, coupled with accelerating military deployments, reflects a historical pattern of expansion justified in the name of "national survival crisis." This trend carries the real risk of a resurgence of militarism.

By strengthening military forces in the southwestern islands, Japan is sending hostile signals toward neighboring countries and the wider region. Analysts warn that such forward-leaning deployments demand close vigilance from regional states, as Japan is turning these islands into launchpads for military strikes. They also warned that such military moves would inevitably invite strong countermeasures from regional countries and further destabilize regional peace.