As Japan shifts away from postwar pacifism, Takaichi eyes constitutional reform
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Ann Scott Tyson Staff writer
| Tokyo
Japan鈥檚 Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is working hard to bolster Japan鈥檚 defense capabilities in the face of China鈥檚 large-scale military buildup, as well as growing threats from North Korea鈥檚 missile and nuclear programs.
Her government has increased defense budgets, and partnered with other regional powers on next-generation military technologies. Just this week 鈥� as the Iran war has drawn strategic U.S. military assets away from Asia, adding to uncertainty about Washington鈥檚 security commitments to the region 鈥� Tokyo scrapped a ban on lethal weapons exports.
But a more seismic shift may be around the corner.
Why We Wrote This
Constitutional reform is something Japan鈥檚 ruling party has long debated, but never been able to accomplish. Now, the country鈥檚 first female prime minister 鈥� Sanae Takaichi 鈥� is using her popularity to push the matter forward.
In a recent speech to Japan鈥檚 parliament, the prime minister said that over the next year, she hopes to make progress in initiating a revision to the country鈥檚 postwar pacifist constitution.
Why is Takaichi pushing to revise Japan鈥檚 Constitution?
Japan鈥檚 1947 Constitution 鈥� based on an American draft written during the Allied occupation of Japan following Tokyo鈥檚 surrender in World War II 鈥� has a sweeping no-war clause. Article 9 states that the Japanese people 鈥渇orever renounce war as a sovereign right鈥� and will not use force or the threat of force to settle international disputes. Japan will never maintain land, sea, and air forces, it says.
Japan鈥檚 government has claimed, however, that it can act in self-defense 鈥� an approach the United States has encouraged. Since the 1950s, Japan has established and gradually expanded its Self-Defense Forces, composed of maritime, ground, and air forces. In 1992, a law passed allowing the SDF to deploy overseas as part of international peacekeeping missions. Still, the SDF are not recognized in the constitution. Ms. Takaichi wants to change that.
鈥淭he time is right,鈥� she said in her mid-April speech.
Ms. Takaichi鈥檚 Liberal Democratic Party, which has held power in Japan for most of its postwar history, has long debated whether to revise the constitution to legitimize its military. It鈥檚 a politically challenging task given strong pacifist sentiments in Japan鈥檚 population.
Now, Ms. Takaichi has both the determination and mandate to try. In a February snap election, she led the LDP to capture a supermajority in Japan鈥檚 powerful lower house of parliament.
鈥淪eventy years have passed since the LDP鈥檚 founding,鈥� she told an annual convention of the party in Tokyo April 12. 鈥淟et us mobilize the full strength of all party members鈥� to initiate a constitutional revision 鈥渁 year from now,鈥� she said.
What challenges does she face in amending the constitution?
Ms. Takaichi鈥檚 mentor, the late Shinzo Abe, expanded the SDF鈥檚 role with a government decision in 2014 to allow Japan to engage in 鈥渃ollective defense鈥� under some scenarios. He also laid out the goal of legitimizing Japan鈥檚 military in the constitution nearly a decade ago, suggesting in 2017 that Article 9 should be revised.
But Mr. Abe, Japan鈥檚 longest-serving prime minister, was unable to achieve consensus or gain the necessary support in the Diet, Japan鈥檚 parliament. He stepped down in 2020. Amending the constitution requires a two-thirds majority in both the Diet鈥檚 upper and lower houses to pass a proposal to amend the constitution. A national referendum on the amendment must then win majority support from the public to pass.
Although Ms. Takaichi has not spelled out exactly how she favors revising the constitution, experts say that she, like Mr. Abe, views the military as being constrained by the current law.
Still, she faces an uphill battle to win the necessary political support in the Diet鈥檚 upper house.
鈥淪he has to gather much more steam, and take back the upper house with two-thirds majority 鈥� otherwise she can鈥檛 do it,鈥� says Nobukatsu Kanehara, a senior Japanese diplomat and executive director of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. 鈥滻t鈥檚 not easy.鈥�
Where does Japan鈥檚 public stand on constitutional reform?
Japan鈥檚 public is divided over revising their country鈥檚 constitution.
Many express pride in Japan鈥檚 embrace of pacifism following World War II, and see Article 9 as a guarantee of a peaceful approach.
Indeed, Ms. Takaichi鈥檚 call for change has sparked large demonstrations across Japan.
鈥淗ands off our constitution!鈥� read one sign hoisted by protesters as an estimated 36,000 people rallied to oppose any change outside the Diet building in downtown Tokyo April 19. Many waved big pink balloons shaped like the number 鈥�9鈥� 鈥� calling to preserve Article 9.
Without Article 9, protesters said, Japan could have been dragged into the Iran war launched by the United States and Israel.
However, as Japanese grow more concerned about regional security, support for revising the constitution has gained ground. A poll last year showed that most respondents favored adding language to the constitution that would justify the Self-Defense Forces.
Faced with an ambivalent public, Ms. Takaichi has called on the LDP to 鈥渕obilize the full strength of all party members and supporters to explain the constitution to the public,鈥� she told the April LDP conference.
