Japan is to develop nuclear weapons to defend itself against China and
North Korea, according to the outspoken governor of Tokyo.

Julian Ryall in Tokyo 3:54PM GMT 04 Feb 2011
AFP

Shintaro Ishihara, 78, a former actor and author who has been governor
of Tokyo since 1999 and has frequently provoked anger among Japan's
neighbours, made his latest demand after a diplomatic row sparked by the
arrest of a Chinese fishing vessel captain operating in Japanese waters.

"If Japan had had nuclear (weapons), there would not have been any
(Chinese encroachment) on the Senkakus," he said. "And North Korea would
not have abducted our citizens."

Mr Ishihara is chairman of a group of prefectural governors who have
been demanding progress on the issue of Japanese nationals seized by
North Korean agents in the 1970s and '80s.

In early 2009, he criticised the outgoing administration of President
George W. Bush for not doing enough to support Japan's demand for their
release.

Washington has "not displayed great interest in the matter," he said.

"North Korea is a country with nuclear weapons, but when the United
States had issues with Libya, they bombed Tripoli," he said. "Some
children died and that was a tragedy -- but Libya changed.

"A more serious approach is needed with regard to North Korea."

Mr Ishihara attracted international attention in 1989 after jointly
authoring "The Japan That Can Say No" with the then-Sony chairman, Akio
Morita. The bestselling book called on Japan to be more assertive in
dealings with the United States.

He has also repeatedly stated that the Rape of Nanjing was fiction
created by the communists in China, while in 2001 he stated in a
magazine interview that "old women who have lost their ability to
reproduce are useless and are committing a sin."

More recently, he attracted criticism in December for describing
lesbians and gay men as "deficient."

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