Opposition Leaders Voice Concerns over Takaichi’s Hiroshima Address

Hiroshima, Aug. 6 (Jiji Press)–Japanese opposition party leaders attending an annual peace ceremony in Hiroshima on Thursday, the 81st anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of the western Japan city, voiced concerns about Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s address at the event. “Japan upholds the three nonnuclear principles and bears the mission of steadily continuing efforts to realize a world without nuclear weapons as the only country to have suffered atomic bombings in war,” Takaichi said in her address at the peace ceremony at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. Junya Ogawa, leader of the opposition Centrist Reform Alliance, told reporters that Takaichi’s remark “merely described the current situation.” “She should have instead clearly stated her commitment for the future,” he added. Among other opposition leaders, Yuichiro Tamaki, head of the Democratic Party for the People, pointed out that Takaichi “just reiterated the government’s long-standing policy.” Tamaki added that the three principles–not possessing nuclear weapons, not producing them and not allowing them into the country’s territory–“should be adhered to” and that a nuclear-sharing framework, under which the United States deploys nuclear arms to its allies for joint operation, is therefore not a viable option for Japan. Japanese Communist Party head Tomoko Tamura said it was deeply problematic that the prime minister did not state that the government would continue to uphold the principles at a time when such a statement was needed. Meanwhile, Sanseito leader Sohei Kamiya said, “I took the remark as nothing unusual because the prime minister had previously indicated that the government would continue to uphold the principles.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]