The government has decided to keep Japan's three non-nuclear principles as it revises the three security-related documents due at the end of the year, government and ruling-party officials said. Some in the government and the ruling parties had argued the principles should be reviewed, but the government will not do so on the grounds that there is little point in deliberately changing them.
At the same time, the government is working on changing wording in the current documents that says the basic policy of upholding the three principles "will not change." The three principles commit Japan not to possess, produce or allow the introduction of nuclear weapons.
On the "no introduction" principle, critics have argued that the concept could weaken the US nuclear deterrent. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi raised the issue during the 2024 Liberal Democratic Party leadership race, calling for a review.