Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi delivers a speech during the Peace Memorial Ceremony for the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima at Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, Japan, 06 August 2026. In 1945, the United States dropped two nuclear bombs over the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 06 and 09 August respectively, killing more than 200,000 people. Photo by JIJI PRESS / EPA
Aug. 7 (Asia Today) -- Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said at a Hiroshima memorial ceremony that Japan "maintains" its three non-nuclear principles but stopped short of promising that the policy would remain unchanged, fueling speculation that her government could review a longstanding ban on allowing nuclear weapons into the country.
Takaichi made the remarks Thursday at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of the city.
"Japan maintains the Three Non-Nuclear Principles and has a mission to continue efforts toward realizing a world without nuclear weapons," Takaichi said.
Unlike previous prime ministers who pledged that Japan would "continue to uphold" the principles, Takaichi described the government's current position without making an explicit commitment about the future.
