Disapproval of Participation in Nuclear Prohibition Treaty

Entering the year of eightieth anniversary from the end of the World War II, Japan’s participation in Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) is emerging as one of the political issues in Shigeru Ishiba administration. Although Prime Minister Ishiba expressed no willingness to join the treaty in the meeting with Nihon Hidankyo, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2024, Komeito and the opposition parties hope Japan to join it at least as an observer. 

Co-chair of Hidankyo, Terumi Tanaka, and his colleagues visited the Official Residence of the Prime Minister on January 8th and had a meeting with Ishiba for thirty minutes. Tanaka urged Ishiba that Japan as an observer should join the Third Meeting of States Parties at the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York in March. But Ishiba did not give them any hint for Japan’s participation in it.

 

Ishiba, instead, praised decades-long activities of Hidankyo toward elimination of nuclear weapons. “I would pay sincere respect and appreciate that you made efforts for many years, recognizing the significance of receiving Novel Peace Prize for delivering true aspects of suffering from atomic bombs to the world,” said Ishiba. Tanaka thanked Ishiba about his congratulation to Hidankyo at the announcement of the prize in October 2024.

 

According to the reports, Ishiba told the members of Hidankyo that he thought participation as an observer was one of the ideas. “There may be such an idea,” told Ishiba to the members of Hidankyo. “We are considering realistic and practical measures without any presumption as we watch the condition of other observing countries,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshimasa Hayashi, on the option of participation as an observer.

 

After the meeting with Ishiba, Tanaka concluded it as discussion with no achievement. “We did not have much time to respond to the idea of the prime minister. It was regretful for us to hear ordinary opinion of him,” said Tanaka in his web press conference. One of the co-chairs, Tomoyuki Mimaki, insisted that Japan should attend the third meeting of TPNW in the year of eightieth anniversary. But Ishiba did not responded to him.

 

Chief Representative of Komeito, Tetsuo Saito, coalition partner of the Liberal Democratic Party, joined the meeting between Hidankyo and Ishiba. Saito has been one of the proponents for the idea of Japan’s participation in TPNW as an observer. Considering decline of the party in the general election of the Lower House last year and hoping boost in the Upper House election this summer, Komeito is appealing its policy as a “party for peace.”

 

The opposition parties support participation in TPNW. Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Japan Innovation Party and Japan Communist Party supported Japan’s participation in announced necessity of the joining, as least as an observer, when Hidankyo won the Nobel Peace Prize. 

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