News Analysis Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe surprised his fellow citizens on Feb. 27. Speaking to a television audience, he said that in light of the invasion of Ukraine, which has no nuclear weapons, Japan should discuss the idea of “sharing” nuclear weapons with allies by letting them base some of the weapons on Japanese soil. NATO has a similar arrangement in Europe, in which the United States maintains some nuclear weapons on the territory of its allies. Abe said, “Many people in Japan probably don’t know about the system.” During Abe’s time as prime minister up to 2020, he oversaw the rise of defense spending to record levels, called for a revision of the pacifist constitution to allow for a more robust defense of the country, and said a major conflict between China and Taiwan would be seen by Japan and the United States as an emergency, given …