The Liberal Democratic Party has compiled new proposals for revising the Constitution that more strongly reflect its conservative agenda, including one that would allow the Emperor to be called head of state.
The draft, released Friday, is designed to differentiate the LDP, which spent five decades as virtually the only party in power, from its upstart rival, the Democratic Party of Japan, which took power in 2009 and is wary about amending the charter before the next Lower House poll, which the LDP wants called soon.
The LDP's proposed amendments include renaming the Self-Defense Forces the national defense forces, and obliging people to respect the Nisshoki, or Hinomaru, as the national flag and "Kimigayo" as the national anthem.