Prime Minister Shinzo Abe flatly denies as a "misconception" the view that Japan will return to being a country that wages war if it sidesteps war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution.
But as he tries to justify his drive to revamp the nation's security policy by removing the government's long-standing ban on collective self-defense, or defending allies under armed attack, some people have found themselves with more questions than answers.
"By reworking the legal framework to cope with any contingencies, we can bolster deterrence, avoid future conflicts and prevent our country from being dragged into a war," Abe asserted Thursday.