Hiroshima: To promote his vision of a world without nuclear weapons, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida took G7 leaders to the spot in Hiroshima where an atomic bomb was used against a civilian population for the first time. Kishida may also end up being the leader most singularly responsible for cementing Japan’s turn away from decades of pacifism, as Tokyo embarks on a major military buildup with the backing of the United States’ nuclear umbrella. The seeming contradiction reflects the evolving international role that Kishida’s Japan, the host of this year’s G7 summit, is seeking to chart amid an increasingly uncertain security environment. China’s growing assertiveness in the region, including its claims to self-ruled Taiwan, and North Korea’s untrammelled development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles have unnerved Tokyo.
At the same time, questions about the long-term sustainability of US power in Asia have buttressed calls for Japan to take greater responsibility for its own defence.
In December, Kishida, a longtime opponent of nuclear weapons whose electoral seat is in Hiroshima, announced plans to double military spending over the next five years to 2 percent of gross domestic product, representing the biggest shake-up in the country’s security posture since World War II. –Agencies
