Japan Marks Hiroshima Anniversary, With North Korea on Its Mind
Mr. Abe has declined to support the treaty, arguing
that while eliminating nuclear weapons may be desirable, unilateral disarmament by Japanese allies would only aid North Korea and China.
On Sunday, the mayor of Hiroshima, Kazumi Matsui, and survivors groups urged Mr. Abe to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition
of Nuclear Weapons, a first-of-its-kind agreement negotiated at a United Nations conference last month.
" said one Twitter user, whose handle translated to "Peace is Number One." Many experts have questioned whether pre-emptive strikes on North Korean installations would be effective, given
that Pyongyang takes countermeasures like keeping its missiles mobile or hiding them deep underground. that What a thoughtless thing to say in Hiroshima!
As a treaty ally of the United States, Japan relies for its defense on the deterrent power of the Americans’ vast
arsenal, including the aircraft carriers, Tomahawk missiles and nuclear weapons that Japan does not possess.
Mr. Abe said that At the present time, we are not planning any specific deliberations about possessing
That ambivalent stance — rejecting such weapons for itself but approving their deployment by the United States — has also created political friction.
