THE FIRST QUESTION IS WITH REGARD TO THE STATE OF DEFENSE AT PRESENT, WHAT IS THE POSITION OF JAPAN ?

Well, in Asia, especially the Far East, defense is implicated complexly both politically and militarily with America, China and the Soviet Union. China and the Soviet Union are divided by a defended border, a situation that has its dangers. There is also the give and take of diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and China. There are profitable defense relationships between America and China. That is the general situation. Then there is the Korean peninsula, and this situation is in its own way of concern. With regard to the countries around Japan, in particular, we give the Soviet Union close and steady attention. As you know, nuclear or non-nuclear, about a quarter or a third of the Soviet Union's present military forces are devoted to the Far East. More over, this is especially important as the Soviet Union modernizes, extending to its warships and aircraft which go into the open sea or variously approach the vicinity of Japan. When affairs reach this condition, to some extent it must be a concern for our country. With regard to America, of course there is the Japanese American Security Treaty so, in accordance with it, with regard to the aforesaid movements in Soviet forces we deploy our forces ...

THE NEXT QUESTION IS WITH REGARD TO JAPAN'S DEFENSE POLICY, NUCLEAR WEAPON'S POLICY... MY QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF JAPANESE DEFENSE POLICY?

Japan was a defeated country in the Second World War. So the Peace constitution which said that war would not happen a second time was established. So the Peace constitution is the foundation, however, it is possible to have military forces in response to the necessity of self-defense. We cannot go out to another country, but for the purposes of protecting our own country it is necessary to have a defense force... Thus when it is asked whether we can have so-called ICBMs, or having a military force with war making potential, such things are not possible. It must be based upon defensive necessity. We do not have a conscription system. These are the kinds of things that exist. And then of course we have the Three Non-Nuclear Principles. We are strictly keeping to these provisions ourselves. This is the basic situation. Then there is the Japanese American Security Treaty System which plays a very important role.

YOU MENTIONED THE THREE NON-NUCLEAR PRINCIPLES. CAN JAPAN'S SAFETY BE DEFENDED USING ONLY CONVENTIONAL FORCES OR DOES THE POSSIBILITY EXIST THAT CONVENTIONAL FORCES WILL NOT BE SUFFICIENT? ESPECIALLY, WILL SUCH CHANGES COME FROM OTHER COUNTRIES?

As I said, Japan was defeated in the war and determined that it would act in such a way that never again would there be such a thing. We were the first country in the world to establish this. Since this is the case, there can be no question of possessing nuclear capability, can there? So that the nuclear question is one that is raised by the American side. With regard to our own country, the nuclear question is one that has been raised by America's own efforts.