The ruling Liberal Democratic Party called Thursday for all-party talks on revising the Constitution in areas they can agree upon, in an apparent bid to lower the bar for a first-ever revision of the U.S.-drafted charter.
The LDP aims to ultimately revise war-renouncing Article 9, a controversial proposal which presented by itself is unlikely to win early accord, opinion polls show.
Hajime Funada, head of the LDP's body pushing for revisions, told the first discussion at the Lower House Commission on the Constitution since last November that parties should discuss amendments in spheres such as emergencies, environmental rights and fiscal discipline — areas which are more likely to secure cross-party support.