From the Reality of a Nuclear Umbrella to a World without Nuclear Weapons: An Interview with Katsuya Okada

Abstract

Katsuya Okada served as the Japanese Foreign Minister between 2009 and 2010 when the erstwhile Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) formed the administration for the first time in its history. During his term, Okada worked on several initiatives that have not since been executed. One of these projects was an investigation into the so-called “secret deal” effected between Japan and the United States in the 1960s, specifically with regard to the transit of US nuclear weapons through Japan. In this interview, Okada reflects on the actions he took during his term as the foreign minister. He also airs his opinions on other issues related to nuclear weapons, such as the management of the US-Japan alliance; the “sole purpose” policy of nuclear weapons; the nuclear strategy of the US Trump administration and the Japanese government’s reaction to it; the denuclearisation of North Korea; and Japan’s nuclear disarmament diplomacy.

Keywords

• Nuclear disarmament
• secret nuclear deal
• Three Non-Nuclear Principles
• sole purpose
• Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW)
• North Korea