Japan split over Diet debate on Constitution revision: survey

"Some 53 percent said Article 9 should be amended while 45 percent were opposed.

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The survey also showed 71 percent said same-sex marriage should be recognized, compared with 26 percent who oppose it.

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Among other contentious issues, separate surnames for married partners received approval from 77 percent of respondents."

Let's see which of these issues will be pushed by the majority party to become law in "democratic" Japan.

Warmongers need to be crushed like the roaches they are.

Some 53 percent said Article 9 should be amended while 45 percent were opposed.

promising news to wake up to.

The American written, outdated Constitution needs to be binned and revised in order to defend Japan and help her allies in this unprecedentedly dangerous era. Most Japanese now agree.

Of the 53 percent in favor (of amending Article 9), 75 percent cited the changing global security environment including North Korea's missile and nuclear programs, Chinese military expansion and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

I’m not sure I want to support those who profit from military expansion, i.e., those who benefit from fear, apprehension, suspicion, and anxiety over North Korea and China.

Fighto!Today  06:56 am JST

"Some 53 percent said Article 9 should be amended while 45 percent were opposed."

promising news to wake up to.

The American written, outdated Constitution needs to be binned and revised in order to defend Japan and help her allies in this unprecedentedly dangerous era. Most Japanese now agree.

I don't think a hereditary caste of geriatric crypto-fascists should be entrusted with defending Japan, personally. Were the LDP in charge during any sort of real military escalation I think the country would end up getting invaded in under a week.

On a lighter note, I'm so happy to see attitudes towards same-sex marriage becoming more positive. Progress in a still, very conservative country.

Warmongers need to be crushed like the roaches they are.

Would you say... declare war on warmongers?

If Japan was producing its own weapons and providing its own security, thus contributing towards its own economy, that would make sense. The reality is, it is a cash cow for the US.

Would you really want today's batch of politicians writing any constitution?

Fighto!Today  06:56 am JST

Some 53 percent said Article 9 should be amended while 45 percent were opposed.

promising news to wake up to.

The American written, outdated Constitution needs to be binned and revised in order to defend Japan and help her allies in this unprecedentedly dangerous era. Most Japanese now agree.

Article 9 was written by the United States in order to appease the USSR who wanted the Emperor tried as a War Criminal. The US felt that such an act could cause a civil war in post-war Japan that the Communists would use to gain political control.

Article 9 was already outdated just 5 years after WWII ended when the United States literally forced Japan to create the JSDF, starting as a branch of the national police force to get around the constitutional issue. Since then the U.S.has been continuously pressing Japan to amend it's constitution to normalize it's military without success.

China with it's territorial expansion and threat of invading Taiwan has succeeded where the US has failed. It is now up to the Japanese public to wake up and recognize the need to prepare and respond to the global security crises. Having a military defense, and one that adversarial nations recognize, is what keeps peace. Not being unarmed.

yokohamaridesToday  06:52 am JST

Warmongers need to be crushed like the roaches they are.

Russia, China, North Korea, Iran are the war mongers threatening the peace and stability of the world.

The rest of the world are simply defending themselves from them.

The Constitution of Japan, regardless of provenance, expresses an ideal that all nations should aspire to. Renouncing war as a means of solving international disputes, while retaining the right to self-defense is the highest expression of bushido.

The LDP politicians seem to be more eager to add the emergency clause (designed to curtail people’s freedom and rights during “emergencies”) to the constitution than amending the article 9 to legalize the SDF. The constitution should not be amended under the current LDP government. It would only divide the nation into two opposing camps.

An alternative interpretation is that the US wrote in Article 9 because Japanese forces had attacked a dozen countries in Asia (and the USA as well) and killed millions in the most brutal and sadistic ways possible. Additionally, the US planned to partner with the Republic of China and its key partner in Asia. We all know how well that turned out.

Many of you have lived in Japan longer than I have, but my impression is that the average Japanese is OK with the current constitution. LDP hawks going back to Nakasone Yasuhiro are the ones driving this.

A generation of Japanese have lived from birth to old age without facing war thanks to Article 9. The only trouble is that too many of us here in Japan have taken peace for granted. The dangers of the erosion of peace are ever present. There is no room for complacency. The forces of militarism and reaction are ever present and must never be allow to turn peace Japan into a warfare state. Postwar Japan has not been rained upon by missiles. Let us keep it this way.

Since invasion to Ukraine, japanese major media including economy paper repeat warmongering to public, media who criticize self-righteous regime and thoughtless arms race policy are little in Japan.

Those are similar to prewar militarism society about 100 years before.

But the country where government of China and North Korea are conscious is mainly US only.

A generation of Japanese have lived from birth to old age without facing war thanks to Article 9. 

It was also thanks to communism weakening its adversaries and the US having lopsided advantages over them. Unfortunately things are a little more balanced now.

The LDP & myriad rightwing allies have for decades been making every effort to gaslight the nation into accepting a constitution that will limit people's freedoms and rights and provide a blueprint for remilitarizing Japanese society. An apathetic, beaten-down public will likely one day let fascistically inclined politicians have their way with the tattered "Peace Constitution". Since our species seems to learn nothing from history, the past will then return to Japan to add a new chapter of folly to the never-ending story of war.

With our constitution, Japan quickly became the world's second largest economy after the war. The constitution is a good one and needs no changes whatsoever.

deanzaZZRToday  10:42 am JST

An alternative interpretation is that the US wrote in Article 9 because Japanese forces had attacked a dozen countries in Asia (and the USA as well) and killed millions in the most brutal and sadistic ways possible. Additionally, the US planned to partner with the Republic of China and its key partner in Asia. We all know how well that turned out.

That's what we told the USSR and those among the Allies who wanted to try the Emperor. That the US forced Japan to create a military just 5 years after WWII exposes the true intent.

Many of you have lived in Japan longer than I have, but my impression is that the average Japanese is OK with the current constitution. LDP hawks going back to Nakasone Yasuhiro are the ones driving this.

Nakasone refused to touch Article 9 or reinterpret the J-constitution to allow the JSDF to help protect Guam, despite a "close" relationship with Reagan. The LDP was created by the US and LDP "hawks" are backed by the United States.

Because of the Korean War. I'm not feeling a gotcha moment there, but some might. Japan was conveniently located to stage Korean operations and with some investment by the Pentagon could produce basic goods needed by any army.

That's what we told the USSR and those among the Allies who wanted to try the Emperor. That the US forced Japan to create a military just 5 years after WWII exposes the true intent.

Ron/Yasu was the first time a post WW2 Japanese PM had a personal and near equal relationship with an American president. There were plenty of PM turds after that, but at least it was a foundation that could be built upon.

China with its territorial expansion and threat of invading Taiwan has succeeded where the US has failed. It is now up to the Japanese public to wake up and recognize the need to prepare and respond to the global security crises. Having a military defense, and one that adversarial nations recognize, is what keeps peace. Not being unarmed.

What do you mean by 'failed'? That the USA has failed to destroy China? And are you saying Japan should be at the beck and call of America to invade other countries the latter regards as against its political agenda, or that Japan should be able to defend itself? It can already do the latter.

The Constitution of Japan, regardless of provenance, expresses an ideal that all nations should aspire to. Renouncing war as a means of solving international disputes, while retaining the right to self-defense is the highest expression of bushido.

Well said!

OssanAmericaMay 3  09:05 am JST

China with it's territorial expansion and threat of invading Taiwan has succeeded where the US has failed.

That means "China with it is territorial expansion." The word you want is "its."

It is now up to the Japanese public to wake up and recognize the need to prepare and respond to the global security crises. Having a military defense, and one that adversarial nations recognize, is what keeps peace. Not being unarmed.

France had pretty substantial military defenses in 1914 and 1940, so did the US in 1941. If China wants war with Japan and they think they have a shot at winning, it doesn't matter how well defended Japan is, especially not with third-generation, third-rate political hacks with daimyo pretentions in charge.

Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution goes like this:

ARTICLE 9. (1) Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.

(2) In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be sustained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.

What's wrong with this? Every country, the U.S., China, Russia, North Korea, and all, should emulate the spirit struck home in it. Has anyone tried these countries to follow suit with Japan and have them amend their constitution?  

Is it too detached from reality? But that's what the Japanese people learned from World War II.

That learning was not fantastic nor unrealistic.

Simon FostonToday  06:36 am JST

It is now up to the Japanese public to wake up and recognize the need to prepare and respond to the global security crises. Having a military defense, and one that adversarial nations recognize, is what keeps peace. Not being unarmed.

France had pretty substantial military defenses in 1914 and 1940, so did the US in 1941. If China wants war with Japan and they think they have a shot at winning, it doesn't matter how well defended Japan is, especially not with third-generation, third-rate political hacks with daimyo pretentions in charge.

Whole objective is to ensure that the adversary does not think it has it a good chance at winning.At least at a cost they are willing to pay.

OssanAmericaToday  03:54 pm JST

Whole objective is to ensure that the adversary does not think it has it a good chance at winning.At least at a cost they are willing to pay.

What about the cost the Japanese public is willing to pay? I don't personally want a whole lot of my taxes being spent on scaring China, which incidentally I don't think is going to work.