After a Japanese atomic bomb survivors group won the Nobel Peace Prize, Japan’s stance on nuclear disarmament is back in the spotlight. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, known for advocating nuclear deterrence through nuclear weapon sharing, announced that Japan will consider participating as an observer in a conference for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
The TPNW, adopted by the U.N. in 2017, prohibits the development, testing, production, acquisition, possession, stockpiling, and use of nuclear weapons, as well as threatening to use them. While many countries have ratified the treaty, major nuclear states like the U.S., U.K., France, China, and Russia have not followed suit.