Japanese Nuclear Weapon Program

The Japanese program to develop nuclear weapons was conducted during World War II in response to the perceived threat of its enemies (principally the United States) obtaining such a weapon first and using it against Japan. Like the German nuclear weapons program, it suffered from an array of problems, and was ultimately unable to head off the Manhattan Project's development of the bombs that fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in early August 1945. Today, Japan's nuclear energy infrastructure makes it eminently capable of constructing nuclear weapons at will. However, the de-militarization of Japan and the protection of the United States' nuclear umbrella have led to a strong policy of non-weaponization of nuclear technology. On the other hand, this policy may be revised in response to the threat of a North Korean nuclear attack.