What’s Wrong with ‘Nuclear Deterrence?’

WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, 8 Sep 2025

NBC-Nagasaki Broadcasting Corporation – TRANSCEND Media Service

[80 years after the atomic bombing: NO MORE…]

For the image above, see the following article: →  TRENDS Research & Advisory – What if Nuclear Deterrence was an Obsolete Concept?

Exploring the Footholds Needed to Move Toward Nuclear Abolition

30 Aug 2025 – Against the backdrop of unstable global conditions, “nuclear reliance” is becoming more prominent.

We will discuss the issues surrounding “nuclear deterrence” and explore with experts how to find a foothold for moving forward toward the abolition of nuclear weapons.

• What’s wrong with “nuclear deterrence”? See “AI Summary”.
• What are the risks of “nuclear deterrence”? See “AI Summary”.
• How is “nuclear abolition” realistic and effective in achieving a permanent world peace? See “AI Summary”.

A 2018 Lecture on Atomic Bombing Experience:

Atomic bomb survivor Sakue Shimodaira: “A charred body lay there. We thought, ‘Oh, that’s my mother!’ We touched her, calling out, ‘Mommy!’ Her body began to fall apart. We wish we could have at least held her hand one last time.”

• For Sakue Shimodaira, see this article by clicking here.

Atomic bomb survivors have continued to demonstrate the consequences of nuclear weapons through their existence and testimonies.

The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations [Nihon Hidnakyo] once again sent a message to the world that nuclear weapons must never be used again.

The 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing marks a new beginning for our resolve to abolish nuclear weapons.

• “Must never be repeated”: Nagasaki marks 80 years since US dropped the atomic bomb
• Survivors of Nagasaki: Hibakusha Preserve the Legacy of Atomic Tragedy

Shigemitsu Tanaka, Chairman of the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Survivors’ Council, said, “We will eliminate nuclear weapons. We will further strengthen the nuclear taboo. I want this to be a year of that.”

• For Shigemitsu Tanaka, see this article.
• Nagasaki: Atomic Bomb Survivors’ Groups Gain Momentum After Hidankyo’s Nobel Peace Prize Win
• Nagasaki atomic bombing survivor video messages approach 100

However, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s attacks on the Palestinian territories of Gaza have become protracted, and nuclear threats have also been made.

In June 2025, Israel, a de facto nuclear power, launched a preemptive attack on Iran, a country suspected of developing nuclear weapons, citing security “concerns.”

• Israel’s June 2025 attack on Iran: preemptive or preventive?
• What Israel’s attack on Iran means for the future of war

Iran retaliated. Furthermore, the United States intervened militarily and bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities, bringing the situation to the brink of war.

• Iran vs Israel: The War That Shook the Middle East | June 2025 Explained

Some of Other Nagasaki Atomic Bombing Survivors:

Koichi Kawano, Chairman of the Nagasaki Prefecture Peace Movement Center Atomic Bomb Survivors Liaison Council, said, “Countries with military superiority are always trying to suppress the situation by force. However, even if they are able to suppress it temporarily, it is not a fundamental solution.”

• For Koichia Kawano, see “AI Summary”.

Teruko Yokoyama, Vice President of the Nagasaki Atomic Bombing Victims Council, said, “The most terrifying thing has happened. I feel frustrated, sad, and shocked.”

• For Teruko Yokoyama, see “AI Summary”.
• Hibakusha’s son shares mother’s long-secret story from Nagasaki

The Nagasaki University Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition (RECNA) announced in June 2025 that the number of active nuclear warheads in the world that are actually usable is 9,615. This is an increase of 364 since 2018.

• Nagasaki 1945: The Forgotten Second Atomic Bomb

Amidst the unstable global situation, nuclear arms race is progressing, while the idea that “we should rely on nuclear weapons for security” is spreading.

• For “reliance on nuclear weapons for national security”, see “AI Summary”.

France, the only nuclear-weapon state in the European Union, announced in March 2025 that it would begin discussions to extend France’s nuclear umbrella to its European allies.

• How realistic is France’s offer to extend its nuclear umbrella?
• Is French nuclear umbrella for Europe realistic and effective against Russia? See “AI Summary”.

Against the backdrop of nuclear threats from Russia, China, and North Korea, Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba also believes that Japan should consider sharing its nuclear weapons with the United States.

• Points to keep in mind when discussing “nuclear sharing and nuclear introduction”; On the subject of new Prime Minister Ishiba’s claims. | Japan-U.S. Policy Community Analysis

The Doomsday Clock, published annually by a US organization, shows the time remaining until the extinction of humanity, now reads “89 seconds” until midnight, the time of extinction, the shortest time ever.

• Doomsday Clock – Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

One reason cited is nuclear risk, stating, “It’s no longer uncommon for countries without nuclear weapons to consider developing their own nuclear weapons.”

Is “Nuclear Deterrence” Realistic?

• Is “nuclear deterrence” realistic? See “AI Summary”.
• Is “nuclear abolition” realistic? See “AI Summary”.

Professor Kimiaki Kawai, Deputy Director of the Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition (RECNA), Nagasaki University, said, “I’m very worried. The idea is to arm ourselves with nuclear weapons because we don’t know what the other side will do. It’s a matter of strengthening or weakening that deterrence depending on distrust and the other side’s situation. So the logic has been completely wrapped up in nuclear deterrence. There’s no way to come up with any other options.”

Professor Kawai studies nuclear issues from the perspective of international law. While nuclear deterrence is gaining widespread support as a “realistic policy,” he points out that it’s actually ignoring reality.

Professor Kawai: “Nuclear weapons have not been used in war for 80 years since the end of the war. But when asked, ‘Is that guaranteed (in the future)?’, even from the perspective of nuclear deterrence, it’s impossible to say, ‘Yes, it is guaranteed!‘”

He also says that even if nuclear weapons were not used, there are problems with the nuclear deterrence policy itself.

Professor Kawai: “In the process of maintaining the nuclear deterrence system, victims are created. We need to improve the quality of nuclear weapons, and to do that, we have to conduct various experiments. The environment is destroyed, and people involved in that process are exposed to radiation again..

Professor Kawai hopes that the discussion generated by this will serve as a stepping stone toward the abolition of nuclear weapons, and he believes that it can also contribute to creating dialogue and deepening the discussion at the individual level.

Professor Kawai: “The key is to ‘ask questions.’ If you insist, the discussion will go nowhere due to differences in opinion. But if you ask questions, there’s a chance that an answer will be returned. So, what questions should we ask in Nagasaki? Questions that are rooted in the (Nagasaki) experience.”

As we inherit the experiences of the atomic bomb survivors who have risked their lives to bear witness, what questions should we ask? (“Pledge for Peace” at the 1988 Peace Memorial Ceremony) The late Takumi Yamada, representative of atomic bomb survivors, said: “What happened to Nagasaki that day was something that should never happen in the human world. It is absurd to expect nuclear weapons to deter war.”

• For the 1988 Pledge for Peace, see “AI Summary”.
• For Takumi Yamada, see “AI Summary”.
• What Japan’s Atom Bomb Survivors Have Taught Us About the Dangers of Nuclear War

“Now” is the time to think and act!

• What if all the countries in the world are equipped with nuclear weapons for nuclear deterrence? See “AI Summary”.
• Which is more effective for achieving a permanent world peace, “nuclear deterrence” or “nuclear abolition”? See “AI Summary”.
• How to overcome nuclear deterrence? See “AI Summary”.
• How to achieve “nuclear abolition” for a permanent world peace? See “AI Summary”.

Notes:

1. Some hyperlinks were added to the text of the article by the translator for the convenience of and/or the reference for the reader.
2. Some relevant websites, including “AI Summary” and other pertinent websites, were added under some paragraphs in the article by the translator for the convenience of and/or for the reference for the reader.
3. The translator does not take any responsibility for the information in the above-mentioned hyperlinks and/or websites. The reader is kindly requested to understand, to interpret or to judge the information at his or her own responsibility.
4. The views and/or opinions expressed in the article are those of the original author (Nagasaki Broadcasting Corporation or NBC) and/or of the interviewees. Their views and opinions do not necessarily reflect those of Transcend Media Service (TMS) or of the translators. The reader is kindly requested to understand, to interpret or to judge those views and/or opinions at his or her own responsibility.

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Original author:  Nagasaki Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Translation:  Satoshi Ashikaga, Google Translate

Original in Japanese:  「核抑止」の何が問題なのか?　核兵器廃絶に向け歩みを進めるための足がかりを探ってみた　【被爆80年 NO MORE…】NBC長崎放送

This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 8 Sep 2025.

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