A Lower House constitutional research panel last week released an interim report summarizing nearly three years of its discussions. The voluminous document covers a wide range of subjects, including the Emperor system, roles of the Self-Defense Forces and basic human rights. However, it leaves open the question of whether or how the Constitution should be amended.
The report objectively states, item by item, all views expressed by its members and outside experts. It offers no conclusion on any item. However, views calling for change take up more space than those supporting the status quo. This indicates that opinion is growing in favor of revising the national charter, which has never been amended since it was established in 1947.
The summary includes, for example, comments supporting the popular election of a prime minister and introduction of a constitutional court. It also refers to a need for "new human rights," such as the right to a clean environment. Most significant, the war-renouncing Article 9 is covered more extensively than any other subject, with members who favor a revision outnumbering those who oppose it.