Lower House committee chair urges government to retract denials of secret nuclear agreement with U.S.

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Lower House committee chair urges government to retract denials of secret nuclear agreement with U.S.

Regarding former vice foreign ministers' testimonies confirming the previous revelations that Japan had a secret agreement allowing U.S. nuclear weapons to be brought into Japanese territory on airplanes or ships in transit, House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Kono Taro finally admitted that such a "secret agreement existed."

In his e-mail magazine on July 10, he said he met in person with former vice foreign minister Murata Ryohei, who stepped forward to reveal that the secret agreement existed between the Japanese and U.S. governments.

"As the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, I will not allow the government to falsely state that no such secret agreement exists in their response to questions."

Kono also stated, "At the next board of directors meeting of my committee, I will propose that in the name of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I will ask the government to revoke its past explanations denying the secret agreement."

The bilateral secret arrangement regarding the handling of nuclear weapons was made in 1960, when the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty was revised.

Kono also wrote that Murata had agreed to testify about the deal at the committee and that the committee, upon agreement of the board, will visit him in Kyoto because it is difficult for him to travel to Tokyo.

In explaining why he is pressing the government to retract its past explanation regarding the introduction of nuclear weapons, Kono stated, "It is necessary to discuss ways to deter North Korea's nuclear weapons threat." He also called on Japan and the United States to discuss in earnest Japan's policy of 'not to allow nuclear weapons to be brought into Japan", one of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles of "not to possess, manufacture, or allow nuclear weapons to be brought into Japan".

- Akahata, July 12, 2009