Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe marked the 60th anniversary of the nation's pacifist Constitution yesterday by saying that the country's supreme law is outdated and badly in need of reform.
Overhauling the Japanese Constitution, which was penned by US occupation forces after World War II in 1947, has been a key push of the nationalistic Abe, who wants to expand the role of the country's military and bolster patriotism at home.
At a tree planting ceremony near parliament to celebrate the document's anniversary, Abe reiterated the need for change.
"Under the current circumstances, I strongly hope that debate on a Constitution that describes how the country should be and establishes a new nation is actively carried out with the people," Abe said.
He cited new challenges in education, labor and the economy that needed to be addressed, as well as security concerns.
"As we enter the new era of the 21st Century, we face many difficult issues, ranging from weapons of mass destruction to terrorism and our country must actively contribute toward resolving such problems," Abe said.
On Tuesday evening, Abe and leaders from his ruling Liberal Democratic Party tried to drum up support for reform at a Tokyo rally, where he said "many years have passed since the Constitution was created and some clauses are outdated for the current situation."
Abe, who has been strengthening military cooperation with the US and requiring schools to teach patriotism, has campaigned to loosen the Constitution's limits on military action.
The Constitution bans the use of military force as a means of settling international disputes. Ruling lawmakers have largely bent interpretation of the pacifist clause over the years, but it still requires special legislation each time to allow Japanese troops to participate in overseas missions, including Japan's troop dispatch to Iraq.
Tokyo sent troops on a humanitarian mission to southern Iraq from 2004 to 2006, allowing them to enter a combat zone for the first time since World War II.
Last week, Japan's lower house of parliament approved guidelines for amending the Constitution, which requires a national referendum. The upper house is currently debating the legislation, which would map out how a referendum would be carried out.
Recent public polls showed support for constitutional amendments has waned.
Many Japanese credit the charter's pacifist clause with keeping the country out of war since 1945, preventing a resurgence of militarism while focusing on economic development.
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