Constitutional reform in Japan

Lecture for constitutional reform in Japan (2017)

Constitutional reform in Japan, colloquially known as Kaiken-ron (改憲論), is an ongoing political effort to reform the Constitution of Japan.

The effort recently gained traction in the 2010s as the Japanese government under then-prime minister Shinzo Abe attempted to revise Article 9 of the Constitution, which prohibits Japan from waging war as means to settle international disputes, as well as prohibiting Japan from having an armed forces with war potential.[1][2] Although Abe's attempt was unsuccessful due to his leaving office in 2020 and his subsequent assassination, incumbent prime minister Fumio Kishida has said that he is "determined" to work on constitutional reform, citing the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, recent tensions in Taiwan, and North Korea's development of weapons of mass destruction as his basis.[3]

  1. ^ "The case against Abe's constitutional amendment | East Asia Forum". 2018-04-05. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  2. ^ "Japan's Article 9: Pacifism and protests as defence budget doubles | Lowy Institute". www.lowyinstitute.org. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  3. ^ Ninivaggi, Gabriele (2024-01-30). "Kishida comes full circle in policy speech with emphasis on 'power'". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2024-02-09.