Constitutional Amendment Loses Momentum

May 3rd is a national holiday of Japan, commemorating enforcement of the Constitution of Japan in 1947. Although polls show majority for constitutional amendment, political momentum has been lost since former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who were a symbol on this issue, stepped down and was assassinated, and Abe’s colleagues were purged from main positions of leading administration, being involved in the slush fund scandal. The parties seem to be too obsessed about other issues to promote discussion on constitutional amendment.

In the poll of Yomiuri Shimbun, one of the newspapers which has been supporting amendment, 60 percent of responders answered that the constitution is better to be changed. percentage was dropped by 3 points from last year’s poll. The share of them who thought that the constitution should not be changed was 36 percent.

 

Asahi Shimbun asked the responders whether the constitution should be changed without asking which provision was needed to be changed. It resulted in 53 percent of supporting for amendment and 35 percent of no need to change. However, percentage of the responders who thought that Article 9 of the constitution, which stipulates renouncement of war as a sovereign right of a nation, should be changed was as low as 35, while 56 percent hoped it not to be changed.

 

The responders to Mainichi Shimbun’s poll were far negative against constitutional amendment. Only 21 percent was for the amendment, while 39 percent was against it. It was remarkable that other 39 percent answered the question as “I don’t know.” The newspaper analyzes that motivation for amendment was slowed down since the lawmakers for the amendment was reduced down under two third majority, which is needed to pass an initiative for amendment, in the general election of the House of Representatives last October.

 

Which provision do the people think to be changed? Allowed multiple choices in Yomiuri poll, the top answer was maintenance of healthy national budget with 32 percent. Although there is no active constitutional discussion over fiscal discipline, it showed that a lot of people embraced serious concern to current situation in which national deficit has been accumulated with issuance of a great amount of governmental bonds.

 

In Mainichi poll, the most interested talking point was writing down the existence of self-defense force. While the constitution prohibits to have or use of force, Abe argued that the self-defense force had been recognized as unconstitutional, despite they are defending with determination to cost their lives.

 

The Liberal Democratic Party issued a statement that it would make the best for early amendment. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan stressed role of the Constitution as a watchdog against exercise of political power, referring to the Constitution’s contribution to post-war peace and democracy. The Democratic Party for the People and Japan Innovation Party supported constitutional amendment.

 

The reality, however, is that the people are more interested in current issues having impact on their daily life, such as counter-measures against U.S. tariff policies or management of political funds by the parties or politicians, than which provision in the constitution should be changed.

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