Abe Sees Momentum Toward Changing Japan's Pacifist Constitution
- Polls show voters split amid rising concerns over North Korea
- Abe urges debate on revising 70-year-old constitution
This article is for subscribers only.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he sees momentum toward changing Japan’s 70-year-old pacifist constitution, as public opinion polls show a high level of concern over North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile program.
“We will without fail take a historic step toward the goal of changing the constitution in this anniversary year,” Abe told a group of lawmakers and others who want to reform the document. There is a need for flexible debate, he said on Monday, without elaborating on what types of changes might be sought.