Japan should not revise Article 9 of the Constitution because its Asian neighbors would regard such an act as proof that the country intends to wage war, nongovernmental organizations and intellectuals said at a symposium held in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Christopher Weeramantry, former vice president of the International Court of Justice in the Hague, said the war-renouncing Article 9 is one of the world's most outstanding constitutional provisions.
While similar constitutions exist, including that of Costa Rica, Japan's stands out because it is a major nation renouncing the right to wage war, Weeramantry said.