No.0152：Peace Attack - The Strength Needed to Defend Peace
July 28,2026
 
The word peace sounds pleasant. Hardly anyone can openly oppose it, and the moment we say it, we can feel just a little more virtuous. And yet, now - as always - the fighting never stops. Gaza, Ukraine, the Strait of Hormuz. The strong beat down the weak. In the end, the international community cannot be governed by the neat moral lessons taught in school. It is more like an old-school Japanese yakuza movie. To avoid being attacked, you have to be strong - or at the very least, you must never appear weak.
 
Peace Is Not Free
To prevent an attack, you need deterrence: the other side must strongly believe that if they strike, severe retaliation will follow. That requires increased defense spending. But public money is always being pulled between competing priorities such as education, welfare, and healthcare. To make matters worse, Japan ranks first among OECD countries in general government gross debt as a percentage of GDP. In other words, we do not have much financial room to spare.
 
The Limits of Being America’s Subordinate
It has also become increasingly difficult to rely on America’s overwhelming power and enjoy peace under its protection, because America’s relative influence in the international community has declined too far. The rise of China’s influence and America’s increasingly inward-looking stance, symbolized by MAGA - “Make America Great Again” - are part of the reason. Under these circumstances, Japan, which has depended heavily on the United States for its defense since the signing of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, now faces a growing need to take greater responsibility for defending itself.
 
Peace Like Sonic Youth’s Noise
I may get criticized for saying this too loudly, but I believe Japan should not avoid discussing the possession of nuclear weapons for the purpose of national self-defense. Sonic Youth has a song called “Peace Attack.” Peace and attack. Put together, the words sound strange. Yet in the world we live in today, they somehow make sense. To protect peace, a country must demonstrate its strength. This is not about forcing others into submission. It is about possessing a clear symbol of determination - something that says, “If you attack us, we will not remain silent.” In that sense, it is almost like a protective charm.
 
Morally the Worst, Economically the Best
Of course, I fully respect the message of Nihon Hidankyo: “No More Hiroshima, No More Nagasaki.” If nuclear weapons were ever actually used, humanity itself might disappear. But when viewed purely as a deterrent for national defense, it is difficult to think of anything more cost-effective. North Korea, despite its weak financial position, has gained a certain degree of negotiating power by becoming a nuclear state. Had even a small portion of the former Soviet nuclear arsenal remained in Ukraine, the current invasion might never have happened. At the very least, the calculations of the invading side would have been dramatically different.
 
This is not a matter of liking or disliking nuclear weapons. It is a practical question of how to prevent invasion by another country. It is easy to say, “Nuclear weapons are unthinkable,” and such a view carries overwhelming moral legitimacy. Emotionally, I feel the same way. But when asked whether those words alone can protect our country and our families, my answer becomes far less certain.
 
If we truly want peace, we must be prepared to bear an appropriate cost in order to reduce the risk of losing it. Peace cannot be defended by presenting ourselves as good people, avoiding reality, and repeating beautiful words. As I have already argued, Japan cannot depend on the United States forever. Moreover, under severe fiscal constraints, and despite the serious diplomatic consequences that would undoubtedly follow, nuclear weapons cannot simply be excluded as one possible means of preserving peace.
 
Winning Without Fighting
Another way to preserve peace is diplomacy. The Art of War by Sun Tzu is a book about how to win. Yet its essence lies in winning with as little actual fighting as possible. War kills people, drains money, and devastates land. Even if you win, the return may be limited. That is why, before both sides exhaust themselves in open conflict, it is always better to build a win-win relationship through negotiation. It may begin with the cold calculation of a political marriage, only to develop into genuine love.
 
Toyotomi Hideyoshi did not unify Japan through battlefield skill alone. More importantly, he understood the realities facing his enemies. He knew what they wanted and what they did not want exposed. Through schemes, negotiations, recruitment into his own camp, and the encouragement of internal collapse, he often created situations in which fighting became unnecessary.
 
A truly strong person does not start by throwing punches. Such a person avoids being hurt whenever possible and resorts to force only when there is no other option. I admire this kind of cunning - the ability to win while minimizing losses. It is like Spanish football at its best: elegant passing that denies the opponent even the chance to attack.
 
The Noise We Cannot Escape
Recently, I watched the film adaptation of Tolstoy’s War and Peace . I admit that one slightly unconventional reason was simply that I wanted to see Audrey Hepburn again. What the film expressed was the emptiness of the wealth, fame, and power gained through victory in war - and, on the other hand, the preciousness of ordinary daily life. In other words, it showed the beauty of being tolerant toward ourselves and those around us.  If everyone felt that way, then we could truly say farewell to arms. But as long as that is not the case, preparedness remains necessary, however unfortunate that may be. Peace cannot be maintained by turning away from inconvenient truths. Like the noise of Sonic Youth, these truths may sound unpleasant. They may irritate us. They may make us anxious. But if we genuinely want peace, I do not believe we can afford to ignore that noise.