The so-called Peace Constitution is a defining feature of modern Japan. In the aftermath of World War II, Japan has perceived itself, and has been perceived internationally, as a nation devoted to peace, both constitutionally and ideologically.
Nevertheless, the implications of this "pacifist" position are open to debate. What Japan can do as a "peaceful nation" in terms of its contribution to regional and international security, and how it can act as a good global citizen, is complicated by the country's commitment to a broadly defined state of peace, and more than a few attempts have been made to allow for a more liberal interpretation of the critical Article 9.
Debate over this article of the Constitution is all too familiar. Debate over the implications of the pacifist position in the context of new religious movements in Japan is less so, but this book by Robert Kisala, fellow of the Nanzan Institute for Religion and Culture, highlights aspects of these movements and provides a fresh perspective on questions that are of more general moral, ideological and constitutional concern: what it means to advocate peace and how new religious movements in Japan can contribute toward a better understanding of the moral and political implications of taking a pacifist position.