It is no secret that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Liberal Democratic Party are aiming to change what has defined postwar Japan — the pacifist Constitution.
Abe may use the LDP's widely projected victory in Sunday's general election as a justification to pursue his long-held goal in the next four years until 2018.
The prospect of Abe getting a firmer grip on power, however, has already alarmed legal experts who see no need for amending the charter and undermining Japan's pacifist credo.