Japan Should Have Nuclear Weapons, Official Reportedly Says

A senior government official who advises Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on security expressed a personal opinion that Japan should have nuclear weapons, according to local media reports.

The official added that there was no discussion within the government on that possibility and acknowledged that it would be realistically difficult to achieve, the reports said. Media outlets including Kyodo News, public broadcaster NHK and the Asahi newspaper reported the remark as a comment made by an unnamed government official to reporters on Thursday.