Japanese PM reaffirms intention to revise Constitution

TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, on Sunday, the country's Constitution Memorial Day, reaffirmed her intention to revise the Constitution, local media reported.

Speaking in a video message to a gathering of revision proponents, Takaichi stressed that the postwar supreme law, which serves as the foundation of the country, "should be periodically updated in accordance with the demands of the times," Kyodo News reported.

Takaichi said that her ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) would "advance discussions in the Diet (Japan's parliament) aimed at reaching decisions while securing the cooperation of other parties."

Japan's Constitution, which took effect in 1947, is often referred to as the pacifist Constitution because its Article 9 renounces war as a sovereign right and prohibits Japan from possessing "war potential."

Takaichi is pushing for the first-ever change to the Constitution. According to Kyodo News, possible amendments include revisions to Article 9, the clause widely seen as the cornerstone of Japan's postwar pacifist stance.

Just weeks ago, at an LDP convention on April 12, Takaichi declared that "the time has come" to reform the Constitution, saying that "we would like to hold next year's convention with a proposal for a constitutional amendment in sight," a move that has triggered deep concern and large-scale protests in Japan.