For the first time since 1967, serious strategists in Tokyo's security establishment are openly discussing whether Japan should reconsider its Three Non-Nuclear Principles. This shift remains largely unknown on the streets of Shibuya or in Kyoto's university lectures. The author terms this disconnect Japan's 'security autism,' a fragmented perception that hinders coherent responses to existential threats in liberal democracies.
In the hushed corridors of Tokyo’s security establishment, a taboo has been broken. For the first time since 1967, serious strategists are openly discussing whether Japan should reconsider its Three Non-Nuclear Principles—the sacred commitment to neither possess, produce, nor permit nuclear weapons on Japanese soil. Yet, walking the streets of Shibuya or attending a university lecture in Kyoto reveals no awareness of this tectonic shift. This disconnect exposes what the author calls Japan’s “security autism,” a condition afflicting liberal democracies worldwide as they struggle to perceive and respond to mounting threats.
The term builds on strategist Edward Luttwak’s concept of “great power autism,” describing how large states like the U.S. and China become so self-absorbed they lose the ability to understand others' perceptions of their actions. Japan’s variant is distinct but equally dangerous: a society fragmented in its security perceptions, unable to form coherent responses to existential threats. Keywords include U.S., China, U.S.-Japan relations, China-Japan relations, defense, SDF, North Korea, and Donald Trump. This fragmentation may hinder Japan from building a unified defense strategy amid threats from China and North Korea.
The author warns liberal democracies to beware this “autism,” which endangers national survival. Published: December 30, 2025.
