the Diet (as stated in a previous interview) that, in light of the North Korean threat, serious debate on Japan's nuclearization should begin. Public furor immediately forced Nishimura to resign from the (Keizo) Obuchi Cabinet. In May 2002 Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe repeated the observation of Kishi that Article 9 did not preclude Japan from owning sufficiently small (strictly defensive) nuclear weapons, including ICBMs and atomic bombs. In June of that year, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda, in an off-the-record talk with reporters (for which he later took responsibility), remarked further that "circumstances and public opinion could require Japan to possess nuclear weapons". Despite being highly hypothetical, both comments provoked public outcry and a sit-in protest in Hiroshima followed Fukuda's remark. Shortly thereafter Fukuda amended his statement, specifying that Japan could not own ICBMs under Article 9. Fukuda was not forced to resign; Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi described his remarks as "simply an observation that any basic policy of a country can be reviewed" and insists that his government has no intention of reviewing the principles. Koizumi continues to reaffirm the principles in each of his addresses for the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Peace Memorial Ceremonies. More fervent criticism of Japan's non-nuclear policy has come from a few well-known academics and writers, including Kyoto University professor Terumasa Nakanishi and literary critic Kazuya Fukuda (who penned the article "A nuclear declaration for Japan" for Voice magazine). The majority of writers and scholars, however, tend to support non-nuclearism. Japan decided not to sign the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, a binding agreement for negotiations for the total elimination of nuclear weapons. See also Japanese Peace Bell Three Non-Nuclear Principles Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan M-5 rocket Japanese nuclear weapon program Nuclear latency Nuclear umbrella New Zealand nuclear-free zone References External links Akaha, Tsuneo (1984). "Japan's Nonnuclear Policy". The Regents of the University of California, 1984. Sherrill, Clifton W. (2001). "The Need for a Japanese Nuclear Deterrent". Comparative Strategy 20 3: 259–270. Andrew L. Oros (2003). "Godzilla's Return: The New Nuclear Politics in an Insecure Japan". In Japan's Nuclear Option: Security, Politics, and Policy in the 21st Century, Benjamin Self and Jeffrey Thompson (eds), Washington, DC: The Henry L. Stimson Center. Japan's Nuclear Weapons Program at GlobalSecurity.org. Nuclear weapons policy Non-nuclear weapons policy Non-nuclear weapons policy Non-nuclear weapons policy Non-nuclear weapons policy Non-nuclear weapons policy Nuclear-weapon-free zones