Do you think Russia's invasion of Ukraine might push Japan to acquire its own nuclear capability to stave off a potential China attack?

I hope it does!!!

No.

No. Japan doesn't need or want the expense of maintaining nuclear weapons. They aren't cheap. As long as Japan has a treaty with the US, there's no need. It isn't like the US will ever start a nuclear war.

Maybe I’m just delusional but I think China after seeing how the world had turned on Russia has shelved any invasion plans they may of had .

Highly unlikely. The USFJ is nesting in Japan, and I think they don't want their ally to be messed with by China or by any of its commie buddies under any circumstance. And here's the thing, whenever Japan would do something military-related, some Japanese express their disapproval while other East Asian states are already flagging it as Tokyo's re-militarization. Imagine the reaction of the Japanese population and the neighbors should Japan decide to have its own nukes. A fair comparison to this would be the case of South Korea being allowed to develop longer-range and heavier payload missiles. I think in a world where conflicts can go from cold to hot in a flash, alternative deterrents such as kinetic energy weapons, cyber warfare, stealth assets are a less hostile choice.

As a close relative of my who worked on the original German project in the early 1940s, one of the reasons why it never happened, said harnessing the atom for such a destructive power in any form is the dogs blood from hell. He was right in his assessment because of what after with Hiroshima, Nagasaki, the Soviets and Amerika with the Cold War and M.A.D,, Nuclear Accidents several in the Soviet Union including Chernobyl (which is also in the news lately with one other Ukraine Nuclear power plant in control because someone Russian ex. KGB agent might have a calculative plan for them, you do not know what goes on in the mind of an ex KGB agents of Stasi from my own country when it was part of the Eastern Block), the America accident I think was Three Mile Island, Windscale Fire in England in the 1950s, TOKAI MURA Accident in Ibaraki Ken, FUKUSHIMA, and the list goes on.

These accidents should never be forgotten

MAD SHOULD NEVER BE FORGOTTEN

JAPAN SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM NUCLEAR WEAPONS OF ANY KIND

no.

Japan have US nukes here for decades so there is no need to have own.

Nope.

No, of course not the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but the potential threats from China sooner and those on the midrange time horizon from other directions nearby later.

PM Kishida rules out Japan's possession of nuclear weapons

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20220225/p2a/00m/0na/018000c#:~:text=At%20a%20House%20of%20Councillors,using%20or%20possessing%20nuclear%20arms.%22

At a House of Councillors Budget Committee session on Feb. 24, Kishida said, "The three non-nuclear principles (of not possessing, not producing and not permitting the introduction of nuclear weapons) are our national policy. There are no options of using or possessing nuclear arms."

Any Prime Minster/Leader that suggested a change of policy would not be in government for long. It is Politically toxic.

Well, never say never, though.

If North Korea or the Government of China posed a existential threat, who knows?

What about that US nuclear umbrella?

Just a thought.

I doubt it, but I'm sure the LDP will attempt to use it to justify a lot of things that have nothing to do with the Ukrainian war.

What a strange question.

Japan is unlikely to acquire nuclear weapons to stave off any attack.

China isn't going to attack Japan unless something else instigates it. Japan can't even attack China, so why would they.

So no, Japan definitely doesn't need nuclear arms to deter China.

You cannot 100% count on the US to be willing to go to nuclear war for another country. For one thing it may not have much public support.

On the other hand the Chinese public, pretty much anyone but the upper class who stand to lose in war, are supportive of war and initiating nuclear war on Japan. Pretty much on any Weibo or bilibili videos about Japan there are people asking for war and nuclear strikes on Japan.

Japan securing its own MAD capabilities is the only way to prevent war. China’s gov can only supress its populations desire for war so long as everything goes smoothly in China. Any shocks to the Chinese economy may force its hand.

Japan must not allow a DOOMSDAYS machine gap!

Japan has the nuclear, rocket and guidance technologies to put a nuclear missile together in a month if it chose to do so.

Most of Asia is neutral on the conflict and simply paying lip-service to the United States. The people in a number of Asian countries (China, Indonesia, India, CIS, Middle East etc...) outright support Russia despite their governments going neutral.

Japan may use the situation to its advantage to militarise more, but I doubt that it fears anything.

I don't think possessing a capability of nuclear weapon in Japan works as one of the protective force against certain countries. Instead, the act of it may cause a flame of the argument in our nation. Also, it can facilitate motivation to upgrade such disastrous arms in other countries. Deterrence is required to prevent any wars or conflicts from occurring, however, nuclear capability should not always be the case for that. We need warm heart and cool(reasonable) decision to pursue win-win situation for both countries.

I think it's naive to think that Japan doesn't have nuclear devices ready to be assembled in minutes. The old F-4's and hundreds of F-15's with drop tanks make N Korea easily in range. Japan doesn't have the capability to deliver beyond that.

Staving off a potential China attack? Weirdly adolescent question. Would they deliver them to China by fishing trawler? Nuclear weapons are not defensive weapons. The US Forces are more of a deterrent.