2018年，中国核动力潜艇在南海航行。日本自卫队高级官员引用中国海军加速向远海扩张的事实，强调核潜艇在巡逻方面的优势。
Chinese nuclear-powered submarines in the South China Sea in 2018. Citing the Chinese navy's accelerating expansion into distant waters, a senior Japanese Self-Defense Forces official stressed nuclear submarines' advantage in terms of patrolling.
日本正考虑在其修订后的三份关键安全相关文件中加入研究和探讨引进核潜艇可能性的计划。
Japan is considering including in its revised three key security-related documents plans to study and research the possibility of introducing a nuclear submarine.
目前的讨论主要由一些积极的政客主导，引进核潜艇的目的仍不明确。
Discussions have so far been led mainly by some eager politicians, and the purpose of the possible nuclear submarine introduction remains unclear.
政府计划在年底前完成对这三份文件的修订，预计将很快与执政党展开全面协调，但专家表示，关于核潜艇的讨论可能会遇到波折。
Aiming to revise the three documents by year-end, the government is expected to kick off full-fledged coordination with the ruling parties soon on the update, but discussions regarding nuclear submarines may be bumpy, pundits say.