The opposition Japanese Communist Party opened a five-day congress Monday to consider a more moderate platform that could enable it to form a coalition government with other opposition forces.
Participants in the JCP's 22nd congress in the spa resort of Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, are expected to approve a proposal to drop part of the preamble to its constitution, which states that the JCP "is the vanguard political party of the Japanese working class."
They are also likely to adopt a resolution calling for the party to officially recognize the use of the Self-Defense Forces in emergencies. The JCP has long said the forces are in violation of the Constitution.