The Japanese populace remains sharply divided over whether to amend the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution, with supporters of a change slightly outnumbering opponents amid concerns over North Korea and China's military buildup, a newly released Kyodo News survey showed.

According to the mail-in survey, which was conducted ahead of Wednesday's 70th anniversary of the postwar Constitution's enactment, 49 percent of respondents said Article 9 must be revised while 47 percent oppose such a change.

While Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been eager to rewrite the supreme law, including Article 9, 51 percent were against any constitutional amendments under the Abe administration, compared with 45 percent in favor.