New Year Resolution: Constitutional Amendment

As an ordinary new year’s first job, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made his press conference after visiting Ise Jingu Shirine on Thursday. In the shrine worshiping Emperor of Japan, Abe expressed his ambition to achieve constitutional amendment, saying “I will show in this very year a shape of better constitution that produces hope for new era.” Because Prime Minister has no power to take initiative for amending the constitution, Abe made that part of statement as President of Liberal Democratic Party, using convenient distinction on his own.

Abe insisted on no change in three major principles of Constitution of Japan, people’s sovereignty, respect for basic human rights and pacifism, ignoring his disrespect for Article 9 that renounced war and possession of war potentials. “It is natural to discuss how our nation should look like depending on situation of each age,” said Abe. As the matter of fact, what he is doing is not only discussion but actual amendment.

Abe showed his expectation to acceleration of discussion in LDP. “Discussion in LDP has been becoming active,” told Abe, “and I would leave detailed argument to them. Considering that constitutional amendment is taken initiative by the Diet and laid to national referendum, or that understanding of the people is generated through constructive discussion in Commission on the Constitution in both Houses, it is expected that broad consensus will be made, regardless the leading or the opposite parties, without limited time schedule.” Well, it is a general argument everyone knows, anyway.

What he really wants is to destroy Constitution of Japan, which was posed by General Headquarters topped by Douglas McArthur in occupied Japan right after World War II. Without any logical reason, Abe insisted on activating new constitution in 2020, which he determines as the year of Japan for being reborn. He is a very unique Prime Minister who firmly believes in a story that getting a ticket of hosting Olympic Game can replace back born of a peaceful nation.

Ignoring his speech in United Nations last fall, in which he denied dialogue with North Korea as having come to naught, Abe focused on diplomacy toward Kim Jong-un regime in the new year press conference. “To change the policy of North Korea, we will have strong diplomacy cooperated with international society,” told Abe. Emphasizing intimidation of the North, he did not forget arguing necessity of enhancing defensive capabilities of Japan, not reducing military tension in the region.