Japanese PM Takaichi in push to revise pacifist constitution as regional tensions rise

Lead

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has called for “advanced discussions” on revising the country’s pacifist constitution, setting the stage for a national debate as Japan experiences its largest anti-war protests in decades.

The push for revision comes as regional tensions escalate, with the government establishing a panel tasked with reviewing Japan’s security and defence policies. Takaichi, who took office in October 2025, has made constitutional reform a central pillar of her administration, arguing that the current framework no longer reflects the realities of Japan’s security environment.

Coverage Comparison

Coverage of the issue varies in emphasis. The BBC’s report focuses on the protests, describing how on a Tokyo street corner in the rain, a crowd gathered with placards reading “No War,” and noting that Japan is witnessing its largest anti-war protests in decades. The Guardian also highlights the demonstrations, reporting that large demonstrations were held nationwide to oppose changes to the constitution, while also detailing opinion polls that show deep public divisions.

France 24’s coverage is more neutral and informative, focusing on the constitutional limits on Japan’s military and Takaichi’s call for “advanced discussions,” as well as the panel reviewing security and defence policies. The South China Morning Post takes a protest-focused angle, reporting on a growing backlash from women against Takaichi’s government, with demonstrators rallying against constitutional revision and arms exports.

Key Claims

Japan’s pacifist constitution, adopted in 1947, includes Article 9, which prohibits the maintenance of armed forces and renounces war as a right of sovereignty. The constitution was written by US occupation forces after World War II, a period that saw the United States defeat Japan after dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing some 200,000 people by the end of 1945.

Takaichi has argued that the constitution “should periodically be updated to reflect the demands of the times,” as reported by The Guardian. She has also taken major steps away from Japan’s post-war pacifist stance, lifting long-standing restrictions on arms exports and expanding Japan’s military role abroad, according to the BBC. The government says these moves are necessary in an increasingly tense region, the BBC reported.

Revisionists, including Takaichi and others on the conservative wing of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, have long called for change, saying the current document restricts Japan’s ability to respond to growing security threats from North Korea and China, as The Guardian reported. Any revisions would need to secure a two-thirds majority in both houses of Japan’s national diet and a simple majority in a national referendum.

Opinion polls show divided public opinion on revision. A poll published by the conservative Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper found 57% of respondents in favour of revision, while a survey by the liberal Asahi Shimbun put support at 47%, according to The Guardian.

Protesters and critics have voiced concerns about Japan’s drift away from pacifism. “I feel anger that Prime Minister Takaichi does not understand that the constitution exists to bind those in power,” Reina Tashiro, a Tokyo business owner involved in the volunteer group We Want Our Future, told the Mainichi newspaper, as reported by the South China Morning Post. The group has been one of the main organisers behind the demonstrations, co-organising “Emergency Action to Protect the Peace Constitution” rallies.

The South China Morning Post also reported on the involvement of women new to political activism in the protests, which have grown from a few thousand people in late February to tens of thousands outside the National Diet in Tokyo.

Perspectives

Government/Prime Minister Takaichi: Takaichi argues that the constitution should be updated to reflect the times and that changes are necessary to respond to regional security threats. She has called for “advanced discussions” on revision and has lifted restrictions on arms exports and expanded Japan’s military role abroad.

Protesters and critics: Demonstrators, including a growing number of women, express alarm over constitutional revision and arms exports, seeing it as a drift away from post-war peace commitments. They argue the constitution exists to bind those in power and that Japan is becoming a war-capable nation.