Japan's PM Takaichi Pushes Constitution Revision Amid Nationwide Protests

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called for advanced discussions on revising the country's pacifist constitution as tens of thousands protested nationwide against any changes to the document.

Takaichi made the remarks during an official visit to Vietnam. She said the constitution, drafted by U.S. occupation forces after World War II, should be updated periodically to match the demands of the times.

Takaichi and other conservatives in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party have pushed for revisions for years. They argue the current version limits Japan's responses to security threats from North Korea and China.

Revision advocates target Article 9, the so-called pacifist clause that bars Japan from threatening or using military force to resolve international disputes.

Legislation passed 10 years ago allows Japan to exercise collective self-defense, such as aiding an ally under attack. But Takaichi has made reform a key focus since taking office last autumn.

Any changes require a two-thirds majority in both houses of Japan's National Diet and a simple majority in a national referendum.

Recent polls show sharp public divisions. A Yomiuri Shimbun survey published over the weekend found 57 percent of respondents favored revision. An Asahi Shimbun poll put support at 47 percent.

Japan's military limits drew attention in March. Takaichi cited Article 9 when she rejected a request from Donald Trump to deploy Maritime Self-Defense Forces to the Strait of Hormuz.

On Sunday, Constitution Memorial Day, about 50,000 people gathered in a Tokyo park to support the charter. It has remained unchanged since taking effect on May 3, 1947.

Protesters with anti-war signs credited Article 9 with keeping Japan out of U.S. wars, including those involving Iran. "Under Takaichi, Japan is following America like a dog follows its owner," said Hiroko Maekawa, a Tokyo ward councillor. "The LDP wants to turn the Self-Defense Forces into a traditional military, because they know the constitution, as it is, prevents them from doing that."

Tokyo ward councillor Megumi Koike called the constitution "a national treasure and a treasure to the world." She added, "Takaichi thinks that most Japanese people want to change the constitution because they believe there is a threat from China and North Korea, but that's just not true. We should be spending money on healthcare, education and jobs, not on more weapons."

Rallies occurred in dozens of other cities and towns on the public holiday. Many attendees remembered how the postwar constitution brought peace to a nation scarred by war.

"I want to cherish the constitution like I do my own child, and pass it on to the next generation," Haruka Watanabe, an 87-year-old protester in Osaka, told Kyodo news agency.

As she prepared for a trip to Australia to meet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on energy security, critical minerals and defense, Takaichi said in Hanoi that the time for debate was nearly over. "We mustn't have discussion just for discussion's sake," she said, according to Kyodo. "To retain the trust placed in them by the people, politicians must discuss the issue and make a decision."

Trump has criticized Japan for not sending troops to the Middle East. But the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo posted a message praising the constitution, which took effect under U.S. occupation led by Gen. Douglas MacArthur, supreme commander of the Allied Powers.

The embassy said on its official X account that the document has upheld "popular sovereignty, respect for fundamental human rights, and pacifism." It noted that Gen. MacArthur praised the constitution in his memoirs and that it has served as Japan's foundation for 79 years without amendment.