For several years now, the Liberal Democratic party of Japan, headed by Shinzo Abe, has attempted to change article 9 of the Japanese constitution. Though the anti-war clause had been reinterpreted to allow collective defense of attacked allies in 2015, a formal change would require amendment of the constitution, a daunting process that requires a majority in the country’s parliament and in a citizen’s referendum. Although Abe and his party states that the change is required to react to new security threats in the region, such as the rise of North Korea as a nuclear-armed state, many powers in the area, such as the People’s Republic of China and South Korea, are wary of the move. While South Korea is at least a nominal ally of Japan, the 2 countries have had a contentious relationship due to the actions Japan took in the second world war. The constitutional change could also prove to be unpopular domestically- the 2015 reinterpretation caused massive protests, and recent polls have shown that the issue is divisive among the population, with 49 percent in favor of amending Article 9 and 47 percent opposed. While the move may prove unpopular both with foreign relations and domestically, the reality of North Korea’s nuclear power and the rise of China as an economic and military power may prove that the change is necessary.
