Revising the war-renouncing Constitution is not an urgent matter and neither the majority of the public nor the international community is supporting Japan's recent rightward tilt led by the Liberal Democratic Party, said Natsuo Yamaguchi, leader of LDP ally New Komeito.
In the face of the upcoming Dec. 16 Lower House general election, hawkish LDP President Shinzo Abe has boldly put forth policies of his color, including amending the Constitution, which was drafted under the Allied Occupation, to establish what would be called the National Defense Force and enable Japan to engage in collective self-defense. But New Komeito, a long-time LDP ally, made no mention of the Constitution in its campaign platform.
Comparing the campaign pledges of the two parties, which for a decade were the ruling coalition before Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's Democratic Party of Japan ousted them from power in 2009, the LDP and New Komeito stand apart on key issues, including the Constitution and energy policy, particularly when it comes to nuclear power.