The long-standing controversy over whether U.S. warships calling at Japanese ports carry nuclear weapons is taking a new twist. The Kochi prefectural government is seeking to obtain "certificates" from the central government showing that U.S. naval vessels visiting ports in the prefecture are not nuclear-armed.
The Kochi government has already introduced a bill to the prefectural assembly calling for strict compliance with the nation's three nonnuclear principles in port management. The prefectural government intends to refuse port calls unless the Foreign Ministry issues a "nuclear-free certificate" for each ship entering a Kochi port.
The issue pits the Kochi government squarely against the central government. Reacting sharply to the bill, Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi has said a decision on whether or not to approve a visit by a foreign warship rests with the national government.