Japan's Nuclear Crossroads: The Decision to Pursue Nuclear Arms and What It Means for the World

Japan is currently the country with the greatest ability to influence nuclear
proliferation patterns via its own pursuit of nuclear weapons, making it vital to
address the foundations and potential influence of Japan's nuclear decision. This
analysis applies the history, as well as modern theories, of nuclear arms to conduct a
case study of Japan's current status for the purpose of determining how likely Japan
is to build nuclear weapons, what may cause it to do so, and what would happen if it
did. The study examines numerous factors including Japan's technological and
militaristic evolution, its psychological and political barriers to nuclear weapon
development, international proliferation pressures, regional and U.S. relations,
Chinese and North Korean security threats, the international implications of Japan's
nuclear decision, the possibility of a clandestine weapons program, and how to
prevent Japan from pursuing nuclear weapons.