Risks preclude nuclear option for Japan

WASHINGTON -- "Just like the Constitution . . . the amendment of (Japan's nonnuclear principles) is also likely."

Two months have passed since Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda made his infamous nuclear weapons comments. The comments were so sensational that the media fixation continued even after both Fukuda and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi retracted them.

Once the excitement ebbed, however, more reasonable voices emerged from the crowd. It became clear that Fukuda's comments were grossly distorted by overzealous reporting. Perhaps more notably, popular Japanese nuclear pacifism is as steadfast as ever. As of a year ago, 55 percent of polled Japanese even stated that the U.S. nuclear umbrella is unnecessary for Japan's defense.