Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma said Friday that Japan needs cluster bombs for national defense, emphasizing the Self-Defense Forces would not use them for attacking other countries.
Kyuma said Japan, with its long coastlines, needs the devastating antipersonnel weapons because it would be "very difficult" to protect the country from invasion once opposing forces have landed.
He was responding to questions from reporters on Japan's stance of not supporting a proposed global treaty banning cluster munitions, under discussion at an international conference this week in Lima.