Since his big win in the lower house election on Oct. 22, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been talking about proceeding with measures to revise the Constitution, a project that has been close to his heart for most of his political career. However, during the official campaign period he almost never mentioned the word “constitution” in public, even though revision was listed — albeit last, and briefly — as a policy issue in the Liberal Democratic Party’s manifesto.
The media are prohibited during campaigns from covering any candidate or party more, or less, than any other candidate or party, so since the election some have gone through Abe’s speeches with a fine tooth comb. In an Oct. 27 feature, the Asahi Shimbun analyzed all 75 outdoor public appearances Abe made after he dissolved the Lower House on Sept. 28.
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