A former officer of the GHQ of the Allied Forces who helped draft Japan's postwar Constitution suggested Tuesday that the nation's possession of armed forces and their roles be clearly written down in the supreme law.

Richard Poole, 81, and two other former GHQ officials -- Beate Shirota Gordon, 76, and Milton Esman, 81 -- were invited to the day's session of the Upper House research panel on the Constitution as guest speakers to shed some light on how the drafting process took place.

During the session, Poole claimed that Article 9 of the Constitution, which says Japan will "forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes," now needs to match reality.

"I am an advocate of Constitutional change on this one provision . . . In point of fact, Japan does have armed forces," Poole said, referring to the Self-Defense Forces. "It strikes me that the current ambiguity should be removed."

Poole added that it should also be clarified in the Constitution that the roles of Japan's armed forces will be limited to self-defense and participation in international peacekeeping operations.

Poole, a U.S. naval officer working for the Supreme Command of the Allied Powers, was in charge of the subcommittee that drafted the constitutional provisions regarding the Emperor system and ratification of international treaties. when he was 26.

The controversial Article 9 aside, Poole suggested that Japanese lawmakers not rush to make drastic revisions.

"I believe the Constitution has well served and helped Japan join the family of western democracies," he said.

"An individual amendment should be considered only when and if needed, rather than through a sweeping revision of the entire Constitution, for the latter process could well open a Pandora's box."

Top judge urges care

Thorough and concrete deliberation is needed when discussing judicial system reforms for the next century, the nation's top justice said Tuesday.

"It's very important that the judicial system is discussed from the standpoint of the public at a time when social and economic structures, as well as people's values, are changing," Shigeru Yamaguchi, chief justice of the Supreme Court, told a press conference held prior to today's marking of Constitution Day.

The Judicial Reform Council, an advisory panel to the Cabinet, is now debating ways to make the justice system more accessible. to the citizens since July.

When asked about the debate on appointing judges after having some experience as attorneys -- one of the major issues on the table -- Yamaguchi said a "composed discussion" was necessary.

"Those who criticize the current system only focus on its faults, but they also need to see its merits and evaluate each system more objectively," he said, adding that in the end the public should make the decision.