ashington
In February, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe suggested amending Article 9 of the Constitution, which renounces war as a means of settling disputes. Drafted by the United States after World War II, the Constitution contains "some parts (that) do not fit into the current period," Abe told the Diet. He is particularly concerned with the constitutional provision that prohibits Japan from maintaining "land, sea, and air forces," arguing that it seems to be in direct contradiction with the existence of the Self-Defense Forces.
At a glance, Abe's proposal seems deeply unpopular. According to one poll, some 50.3 percent of the public objects to amending Article 9. Only 37.5 percent of those polled favor such action. The good news for Abe, however, is that opposition to his efforts, though broad, does not seem to run deep. Voters, it seems, are less concerned about the direction Abe is taking the country than they are about his decision to make the issue a top priority.