Constitutional Amendment Mongers

The focus of next election of the House of Councillors this summer would be whether advocators of constitutional amendment make two-thirds majority. It has been argued that Japan Restoration Party, a new growing power established last year, would be the key. Holding national convention for the first time, however, this ultra-right party revealed its insufficiency as a national party.

The party approved new platform in the convention, which was overwhelmingly painted with nationalism. “We lead this state and nation to a true independence by amending the constitution, which forced us an unrealistic common illusion of absolute peace,” said the platform. It also emphasized their pride for Japan’s history, tradition and culture, and preservation of good legend. Their distorted pride for Japan is mainly based on their discrimination and frustration against the Chinese and the Koreans, to whom the Japanese believe to have once acted as rulers.

The biggest achievement they want this year is to occupy enough majority in the House of Councillors for constitutional amendment with other cooperative parties. The Constitution of Japan requires two-thirds of approval out of all members of each house for proposing the amendment. In the House of Representatives, leading Liberal Democratic Party and Restoration Party already occupy two-thirds of the seats. If both parties obtain the same majority in the House of Councillors, constitutional amendment is going to be real.

What is not clear, however, is what Restoration Party wants to do with the amendment. One of the co-presidents of the party, Shintaro Ishihara, obviously wants to encourage Japanese nationalism. But from the beginning of his career as a lawmaker, he has not been located in the mainstream of Japanese conservatism. His excentric notion of superiority over any other Asian nation has excluded himself from the political community with realistic idea on diplomacy.

Another co-president, Toru Hashimoto, is a simple hegemonist. As former governor of Osaka prefecture and incumbent mayor of Osaka city, his policy has been focused on destroying Tokyo’s bureaucratic control over autonomy. So, it is fair to say that he mainly expects the reform of national governance by the amendment. But he is also positive for relocating Futenma Marine Base or joining Trans-Pacific Partnership that is not necessary for the mayor of Osaka. All he wants is legend.

Even if the party succeeds in making two-thirds of majority, the amendment will be different from what he wants. Meanwhile, the amendment led by them will make matters worse in the relationships with Japan’s neighbor countries. Moreover, even Japan-US alliance would be in mess by a nationalist leader who is preoccupied with resentment against the war-winner’s rule.