43% say no need to change Japan's non-nuclear principles, 27% support review: Mainichi poll

A recent Mainichi Shimbun opinion poll conducted in July revealed that 43% of respondents believe Japan does not need to review its three non-nuclear principles, while 27% argue the principles should be reconsidered, and 29% expressed uncertainty. Japan's non-nuclear principles dictate that the nation does not possess, produce, or permit the introduction of nuclear weapons on its territory.

As the country prepares to revise its three key security documents by year-end, the issue of reviewing the non-nuclear principles has emerged as a point of contention.

Older respondents, particularly those aged 70 and above, were the most likely to assert that Japan's non-nuclear principles do not require revision, with 50% of this age group responding in this manner. However, among respondents aged 18 to 29, only 33% held the same view. There was no significant divide between younger and older respondents when it came to the percentage expressing a desire for the principles to be reviewed. Conversely, a larger portion of younger respondents opted for the "not sure" option.

In terms of gender, 39% of men and 47% of women stated they saw no need to review the principles, while 42% of men and a mere 16% of women believed the principles should undergo a review. In an open-ended response section, supporters of reviewing the principles often pointed to changes in the security environment surrounding Japan.

For instance, a man in his 30s remarked, "The world surrounding Japan is changing, so we should face reality." On the other hand, many respondents who saw no need to review the principles cited Japan's historical experience of being attacked by atomic bombs during warfare as justification. A woman in her 70s commented, "There are still people alive today whose wounds have not healed."

In June, the junior coalition partner of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Nippon Ishin (the Japan Innovation Party), called for a "realistic study" including a review of the non-introduction principle in its recommendations for revising the three key security documents. The LDP's proposals, however, did not address the three non-nuclear principles.

The survey was conducted on July 18 and 19 using a smartphone-based d-Survey method, with respondents randomly selected from around 80 million people aged 18 and above nationwide. A total of 2,006 valid responses were collected.