Changing the constitution is one of the principal aims of the current parliament during the current session.
Abe calls for a 'bold review' of Japanese Constitution
TOKYO: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe marked the 60th anniversary of the Japanese Constitution on Thursday by calling for a bold review of the document to allow the country to take a larger role in global security and foster a revival of national pride.
Overhauling the Constitution, written by U.S. occupation forces after World War II, is one of Abe's top political goals. The 1947 document, which bans military force in settling international disputes and prohibits maintaining a military for warfare, has never been altered.
While polls this week have suggested support for some changes to the document, one of the surveys showed far more opposition than support for changing the Constitution's pacifist clause.
"A bold review of Japan's postwar stance and an in-depth discussion of the Constitution for a 'new Japan' is necessary" to "open up a new era," Abe said in a statement issued Thursday. He added that he was also determined to work "toward a Japan that instills confidence and pride among its children."
In a drive that began under former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, the government has been pushing for constitutional changes that would remove some restrictions on the Japanese military, including clearly recognizing the country's right to have a standing army.......