Political efforts to change a key part of the Constitution that would make it much easier to revise other articles continue to strengthen in the ruling and opposition parties.
Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) and Your Party have agreed to cooperate on submitting a proposal to revise Article 96, which currently stipulates that constitutional amendments require two-thirds approval by both the Lower House and the Upper House. The parties favor lowering that to a simple majority in both Diet chambers.
Despite differences on a number of policy issues, Nippon Ishin and Your Party have long pushed for revising Article 96. Last week, Yorihisa Matsuno, secretary general of Nippon Ishin's Diet group, said they will cooperate by drawing up a joint proposal to lower the Diet requirements.