Tag - constitution

 
 

CONSTITUTION

Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Mar 27, 2014
Abe ready for full-on military drive
With the launch next Monday of a special intraparty panel directly under his lead, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his ruling Liberal Democratic Party are ready to kick off their full-fledged drive to reinterpret the Constitution to allow Japan to help defend its allies.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LAW OF THE LAND
Mar 26, 2014
Japan's Constitution: never amended but all too often undermined
If Japan's unwritten constitution is already so flexible, why are Abe and his party so bent on amending the written one?
COMMENTARY / Japan / SENTAKU MAGAZINE
Feb 25, 2014
Will Constitution survive Abe?
Conservative hawks who are close allies of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe express irritation over the failure of the move to amend the Constitution to have gained as much momentum as they had hoped.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 24, 2014
China, eyeing Japan, seeks WWII focus for Xi during Germany visit
China wants to make World War II a key part of a trip by President Xi Jinping to Germany next month, much to Berlin's discomfort, diplomatic sources said, as Beijing tries to use German atonement for its wartime past to embarrass Japan.
EDITORIALS
Feb 21, 2014
Abe guts constitutional government
People should realize that Japan's prime minister has a shallow understanding of constitutional government. Shinzo Abe thinks he is the 'highest responsible person' for interpreting Japan's right to a collective self-defense, and that's dangerous.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 20, 2014
Cabinet will decide defense role: Abe
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Thursday that Cabinet approval is enough to change the government's interpretation of war-renouncing Article 9 and allow Japan to help defend allied nations.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 12, 2014
Abe exploiting window for biggest defense change since war
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, pressed by China and seeking to strengthen ties with the U.S., is considering Japan's biggest change in military engagement rules since World War II.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 5, 2014
Amendment not needed for collective defense: Abe
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reiterates his administration's position that the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution on its own gives Japan the right to collective self-defense.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 24, 2014
Playing with fire is dangerous
Any moves that Japanese leaders make at this time to start the process of amending the Constitution would arouse strong feelings in Japan and abroad, against the nation's interests.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 23, 2014
Economy to be Abe's Diet focus, at least at first
This year's 150-day regular Diet session will open Friday with a key policy speech by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expected to play to his strength — the economy — rather than his controversial diplomatic or national security policies.
COMMENTARY
Jan 21, 2014
Japan heading for darker days
It's still baffling why the Abe administration was in such a hurry to have the state secrets bill passed when various opinion surveys showed that the bill was opposed by about 80 percnet of respondens on the very day the Upper House voted on it.
COMMUNITY / Issues
Jan 15, 2014
Three cases, three paths to legitimacy for Supreme Court
When I began studying Japanese, one of my goals was to be able to read the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Japan's version of The Wall Street Journal. Achieving that goal, however, meant realizing that it is possibly The Most Boring Newspaper on Earth.
EDITORIALS
Dec 24, 2013
The Emperor's call for peace
Emperor Akihito on Monday celebrated his 80th birthday, becoming the second emperor to have passed this milestone while on the throne, following his father, Emperor Showa.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 20, 2013
Dictatorship of the majority
Japanese civic movements conspicuously picked up steam to oppose the state secrets bill just before its enactment into law, illustrating that many Japanese voters become critical of the Abe administration when it takes up issues other than the economy.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / LAW OF THE LAND
Nov 20, 2013
For 'no war' Article 9, any reinterpretation will do
Since the conclusion of the Article 9 debate — that it permits Japan to participate in collective security efforts — is already known, all that is really called for is some kind of excuse that the public can give the nod to before returning to their smartphones.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Issues / JUST BE CAUSE
Nov 6, 2013
Japan brings out the big guns to sell remilitarization in U.S.
With a probable nod and a wink from the Americans, there's not a lot we can do but watch Abe's military machinations march to fruition.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Nov 4, 2013
Diet reform paralyzed by hypocritical habits
Indecision is a much-criticized feature of Japanese politics. Diet sessions are rife with unproductive wrangling as the ruling and opposition camps dispute the timing of the submission of bills while avoiding constructive discussions on them.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 31, 2013
Anti-nuclear lawmaker tries to get Emperor's attention
Upper House lawmaker Taro Yamamoto, an anti-nuclear activist who was formerly an actor, creates a public stir when he apparently approaches Emperor Akihito for political purposes at a garden party hosted by the Imperial Couple.
EDITORIALS
Oct 18, 2013
Revitalizing the SDP
Under its newly elected leader, the Social Democratic Party must go beyond shouting 'Protect the pacifist Constitution!' if its mission is to build a more equitable Japanese society.
COMMUNITY / Issues
Oct 16, 2013
The wonderful world of Japanese law: Yōkoso to endless discovery
Having kindly published my intermittent ramblings on Japanese law and the occasional other subject over the years, The Japan Times has seen fit to give me a monthly column.

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji