The 1975-76 Debate Over Ratification of the NPT in Japan

Abstract

THIS PAPER HAS four purposes: to trace the course of the debate which surrounded the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) ratification drive of 1975-76 in Japan; to examine by close review the actual Japanese decision-making process revealed in the unfolding interaction between the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Japanese government; to fill an information gap as to why Japan did not ratify the NPT in 1975 when even the EURATOM associated states of Europe including West Germany deposited articles of ratification for the May NPT Review Conference; and to discuss why, in 1976, six years after signing the NPT, Japan finally ratified it. The principal forum for the debate over the NPT was the Diet. The sessions which began on December 27, 1974, and ended on May 24, 1976, were particularly important. While not all the debates over this issue took place in the Diet-in fact very few did-the schedule around which the Diet was organized did establish the pace. The composition of the Diet over most of this period was particularly important to the fate of the NPT. In the lower house (House of Representatives), the ruling LDP had 279 members, the Japan Socialist Party (JSP) 117, the Japan Communist Party (JCP) 39, the Komeito 30, the Democratic Socialist Party (DSP) 20, one independent, and five vacancies. A margin of 72 seats existed between the LDP and all opposition parties combined. Fairly comfortable, indeed. In the Upper House (House of Councillors), the situation differed considerably. The strength of the LDP stood at 128 while the JSP had