Analysis of the stockpiles of nuclear material available for use in bomb building reveals some surprising results, with Japan’s nuclear potential ranking high in an international comparison thanks to its large nuclear power industry.
As the chart suggests, it takes into account estimates of plutonium stockpiles, whether acquired expressly for the purposes of nuclear armament or for civilian power generation, to build a series of estimates of the potential nuclear stockpiles each nation could build.
Japan also possesses an additional distinction compared to a number of countries shown, in that it has an independent space program. Some have suggested this serves an unspoken “dual-use” deterrent function, as there is not much that distinguishes a space rocket from a nuclear missile, save from what goes on the top.
Most observers suppose that with sufficient political will Japan could rapidly assemble a nuclear arsenal, although so far calls for an independent nuclear deterrent have been muted at best, even with North Korea’s blustering threats to destroy the nation.
However, unlike any of its neighbours Japan’s constitution expressly forbids maintaining “war potential,” though this has not stopped the nation from building what by some estimates is the world’s fourth most powerful navy…
Via Gigazine.
Humm…
dont think the map is totaly 100% correct as it shows Norway as an contry that had Nuclear weapon programs in the 60’s.
as far as i know of the this contry i work in is that they never have liked nuclear things and only have 2 experimental nuclear powerplants at Kjeller and Halden.
but they are quite small (so small they dont even would have made enough energy for an midsize norwegian town on 15000 people…) and just for testing and live now on the edge to be closed down as they are not fit for further experiments with for ex. Thorium…
but superb wages here.. but making stuff bloddy expensive and been world champs at complaining on everything thats not important becase they have it to good, well… thats norwegians in a nutshell 😉
they should build mech warriors 😛
People are stupid saying Canada wanted the bomb in the 60’s. We didn’t want the bomb and in fact the US wanted us to build them or get some of theres but we didn’t want Russia bothering us.
We have nuclear power here and have some of the largest stocks of enriched uranium and plutonium in the world but we sell most of it to the states. We also produce over half of the radioactive isotopes used for medical treatments (cancer treatment ect) in the world.
Man why do so many ignorant people post?
Question: Does this includes the stockpile Japan owns in foreign countries, or just inside Japan only? I remember reading somewhere that Japan owns piles of uranium/plutonium in France and else where being processed, in addition to the ones currently within Japan, it’s makes Japan owner of one of the most nuclear stockpiles in the world.
Even from the graph, Japan is 5th in the world, I’d also remember that in a report, can’t remember which, that japan’s total stockpile is enough to make nuclears weapons more than the US can. although big or small, didn’t say.
Anyway, with the many mobile suits and other mecha in the JSDF, along with the hundred of thousands of ninjas lurking in the shadows or every corner of the world, and top hackers like Major Motoko Kusanagi and Section 9, and the massive Otaku force ready to die at the command, MOE, japan would ultimately kick ass.
Ahoy, there, Chiyuri! Wish you were in the latest Touhou games.