People’s Daily recently reported on the newly released “Research Report on Japan’s Nuclear Materials.” The China Arms Control & Disarmament Association, along with the China Nuclear Science and Technology Information and Economic Research Institute jointly authored the report. The report warned that Japan possesses 47.8 tons of separated plutonium. Around 10.8 tons are stored in Japan. This is good enough to build 1,350 nuclear weapons. Japan also owns 1.2 tons of Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU). In the meantime, Japan is building six more factories to produce separated plutonium, which will give the country the capability of making 1,000 nuclear weapons annually starting in 2019. The report noted that the international community has been wondering for years why Japan keeps producing more “military class” nuclear materials – way above the demand level for all of its nuclear power stations combined.
Source: People’s Daily, October 10, 2015
http://military.people.com.cn/n/2015/1010/c1011-27681823.html