US Military Unit Handling Nuclear Weapons Was Stationed at Iwakuni Base, Internal Documents Show

Internal military documents have revealed that a US military unit responsible for handling nuclear weapons was stationed at the Iwakuni base in Yamaguchi Prefecture during the Cold War. This finding is particularly significant given Japan's long-standing commitment to its three non-nuclear principles: not possessing, manufacturing, or allowing nuclear weapons on its territory. The existence of such a unit at a base within Japan raises critical questions about the nation's historical relationship with nuclear arms and the practical implications of its non-nuclear stance during that tense geopolitical period. Experts emphasize that this discovery underscores the complex and often contradictory nature of Japan's security arrangements during the Cold War, suggesting a closer, more direct involvement with nuclear weapons than previously acknowledged publicly. This revelation is likely to reignite discussions about historical transparency and the legacy of nuclear weapons in the region.