National / Politics Nov 21, 2019
Abe's push to change Japan's Constitution hits roadblock as parties scrap Diet discussion
by Sakura Murakami
LDP sources have said the party has all but given up hope of passing the bill this year, reports have said.
National / Politics Nov 20, 2019
Abe becomes Japan's longest-serving prime minister
by Sakura Murakami
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe became the nation’s longest serving prime minister on Wednesday, beating previous record holder Taro Katsura by having served for a total of 2,887 days.
National / Politics Aug 15, 2019
Head of Democratic Party for the People seeks constitutional debate not focused on Article 9
The opposition Democratic Party for the People wants to pursue discussions on constitutional reform but the discussion should not focus on the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's four-point proposal that includes changes to war-renouncing Article 9, party head Yuichiro Tamaki has said. In a recent interview, ...
Editorials Aug 15, 2019
National / Politics | FOCUS Aug 6, 2019
by Sakura Murakami
A tug-of-war between the pro- and anti-revision forces has been playing out within the DPP, with leader Yuichiro Tamaki wavering between the two sides.
Commentary / Japan Aug 5, 2019
The danger in Abe's constitutional amendment proposal
by Craig Martin
If there is to be any amendment to the Constitution, the substance of the Abe Cabinet's 2014 reinterpretation of Article 9 to allow collective self-defense should be made part of the proposal or withdrawn entirely.
National | FOCUS Jul 29, 2019
Despite winning more seats in Upper House vote, Komeito officials worry about losing support
Komeito boosted its presence in the House of Councilors in the latest election, but a sense of crisis among party officials has deepened as the number of votes it acquired under the proportional representation system fell by more than 1 million compared to the ...
National / Politics Jul 24, 2019
Poll shows 56% of Japanese oppose amending Constitution under Abe government
More than half of people in Japan oppose amending the nation's postwar pacifist Constitution under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government, a Kyodo news survey conducted after the Upper House election showed Tuesday. In the two-day telephone survey, held from Monday, 56.0 percent opposed Abe's drive ...
National / Politics Jul 8, 2019
Abe calls for constitutional amendments proposals to be debated in Diet
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday demanded that the Diet discuss his Liberal Democratic Party's proposals for constitutional amendments. The LDP's proposals include defining the roles of the Self-Defense Forces in the Constitution's war-renouncing Article 9. Political parties should put forward their own proposals for constitutional ...
National / Politics May 25, 2019
Japan's ruling bloc to delay submission of bill to revise referendum law
The ruling bloc has decided not to submit a bill to revise the country's referendum law to the ongoing ordinary Diet session, informed sources have said. The Liberal Democratic Party-led camp apparently hopes to avoid confrontations with opposition forces ahead of the House of Councilors ...
National / Politics May 3, 2019
On Constitution Day, Abe again vows to revise Japan's top law, aiming for enactment in 2020
by Sakura Murakami
The prime minister’s lifelong drive to rewrite pacifist Article 9 will hinge on the Upper House election in July, political observers say.
National / Politics Apr 24, 2019
Abe calls for more equal educational opportunities to be part of revised Constitution
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Tuesday that the better provision of education for all children should be part of reforms to Japan's Constitution. "Education must be truly open for all children, regardless of their families' economic conditions," Abe said in a message to the meeting ...