April 15, 2008

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Japanese adults are split on whether their foremost body of law should be amended, according to a poll by Yomiuri. 43 per cent of respondents believe the constitution should be revised, while 43 per cent are opposed.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Japanese adults are split on whether their foremost body of law should be amended, according to a poll by Yomiuri. 43 per cent of respondents believe the constitution should be revised, while 43 per cent are opposed.

Support for constitutional review fell by 18 points since 2005, while opposition increased by 16 points.

In April 2005, a House of Representatives panel submitted a final report on possible constitutional amendments. The group—originally established in January 2000—has recommended changes to Article 9, and allowing a female to ascend the throne.

Article 9 of Japan’s Constitution literally states, "The Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes." This article was written after Japan’s defeat in World War II, during the American occupation.

In September 2007, Yasuo Fukuda was elected as the new leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and officially sworn in as Japan’s prime minister, substituting Shinzo Abe. While Abe had stated that constitutional review would be one his government’s priorities, Fukuda has remained mostly silent on the issue.

Last month, Japanese foreign minister Masahiko Komura discussed Japan’s military deployments, saying, "As the world’s second largest economy, Japan contributes 16.6 per cent of the total budget for peacekeeping operations. Yet, in terms of the deployment of troops and police forces, we have only sent 36 people, or 0.04 per cent. (...) We must take part more actively in peacekeeping operations permissible under the current system."

A constitutional amendment requires the support of two-thirds of the House of Representatives, two-thirds of the House of Councillors, and more than half of all voters in a nationwide referendum.

Polling Data

Do you support or oppose revising the constitution?

	Mar. 2008	Mar. 2005
Support	43%	61%
Oppose	43%	27%
Not sure	14%	12%

Source: Yomiuri
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,786 Japanese voters, conducted on Mar. 15 and Mar. 16, 2008. Margin of error was provided.