Mark my words- Japan will become a nuclear power by the end of this decade.
About time. Of course, let us hope that Japan's and the USA's interests always coincide.
I see this as another step in the maturation of Japanese society. To go from a warlike state, to a peacenik society, then back to a state that only fights for the freedom of human liberty, is a path many nations, including our own, have taken. That Japan is the first major society in Asia to do so is noteworthy.
I guess this is what Bush is trying to develop in the ME with Afghanistan and Iraq, and it will take a couple of generations before we see the fruits of our country's efforts.