[Provisional Translation]
(Reporter)
I would like to ask a question on behalf of the local press. My name is Usami Kanta from NHK Nagasaki.
I would like to ask a question on behalf of the local press. My name is Usami Kanta from NHK Nagasaki.
Madame Prime Minister, last month Minister of Defense KOIZUMI referred to discussions concerning nuclear weapons, prompting strong reactions from atomic bomb survivors. As the Government considers revising the National Security Strategy and the other two national security documents in light of the changing security environment, does the Government remain firmly committed to upholding the Three Non-Nuclear Principles?
In addition, as the only country to have experienced the horrors of nuclear devastation in war, how does the Government intend to advance nuclear disarmament, including with regard to possible observer participation in the Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons?
Finally, a research group at Nagasaki University recently published a paper suggesting the possibility of internal radiation exposure caused by the atomic bombing. Could you share your views on the health effects of internal exposure and on providing relief for those atomic bomb survivors who have long maintained that they suffered such exposure?
(Prime Minister TAKAICHI)
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
First, regarding the revision of the three national security documents, discussions are currently under way with a view to completing the review by the end of this year. I therefore must refrain from speculating on the specific wording of those documents.
That said, the Government's policy remains unchanged. It continues to uphold the Three Non-Nuclear Principles as a fundamental policy.
I also attach great importance to Japan's status as a State Party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Japan has consistently stated that it will faithfully uphold its obligations under the Treaty.
With regard to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), I recognize it as an important treaty that could serve as a pathway toward realizing a world without nuclear weapons.
At the same time, including in light of the upcoming NPT Review Conference, we must carefully consider Japan's approach to the Treaty while taking into account developments within the international community as well as the increasingly severe security environment surrounding Japan. We must determine, from the perspective of ensuring Japan's security while achieving meaningful progress in nuclear disarmament, what course of action would be truly effective.
With regard to nuclear disarmament more broadly, I had the opportunity earlier today to hear directly from atomic bomb survivors.
Listening to their voices renewed my determination that the tragedy experienced in Hiroshima and Nagasaki must never be repeated.
The Government will continue to listen carefully to the voices of atomic bomb survivors and pursue realistic and practical efforts toward realizing a world without nuclear weapons under the framework of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), in which both nuclear-weapon States and non-nuclear-weapon States participate.
As for the research paper concerning internal radiation exposure caused by radioactive microparticles, I have been informed by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare that it has been published in a scientific journal. However, as the matter is also the subject of ongoing litigation, I must refrain from commenting.
As for those who experienced the atomic bombing but are not officially recognized as atomic bomb survivors, many are now advanced in age and require long-term medical care for a wide range of illnesses. Accordingly, since December 2024, the Government has provided medical expense assistance equivalent to that available to officially recognized atomic bomb survivors for a broad range of common illnesses.
I understand that many people have already benefited from this program, and we will continue to implement these support measures steadily.