Debate on Article 9 of the Constitution
Posted: May 10, 2010 Filed under: Japan 1 Comment »Ironically, as part of Golden Week, Constitution Day came and went, and the debate over Article 9 of the Constitution, which renounces war and a standing military, has once again flared up. Interestingly, the Asahi Shinbum did a survey to find out what people thought of Article 9, and to me at least, the results were surprising: 67% of respondents wanted to keep Article 9, as opposed to 33% who didn’t.
While some conservative prime ministers had sought to review the utility of Article 9, it seems that the general population isn’t too convinced these days, with economic hardships taking greater priority. That’s not to say that a certain nationalist element doesn’t exist even in these times, as the debate over Yasukuni Shrine continues as it always does. I also remember on our first day in Kyoto recently, seeing a big van outside Kyoto station, with loudspeakers, and a man standing on top with fiery rhetoric about foreigners and voting rights, as well as traditional family values, etc, etc.
Extreme political groups on both sides of the spectrum can be very loud and visible, but this survey by Asahi shows that the silent majority are more concerned with the basic necessities of life and general well-being than politics. I find this somehow refreshing, and a reminder that most people just want to be happy and well, and that those who have an axe-to-grind are loud but mostly hot air. 
Hello, this blog is about my life as a father, Buddhist and Japanophile. Any useful information I can pass along will hopefully make the 
There seems to be a lot of anguish in the U.S. these days, among 20% or so of the population at least, about the “real America” slipping out of those people’s grasp, what with a President who doesn’t look like a President to them, and all. “Give me back my country,” they cry. My impression is that most Japanese people are much more secure about their national identity; the guys on the loudspeaker trucks probably represent a much smaller percentage of the local people than their counterparts here in the U.S do.
But I wonder who the 33% who want to revise the Japanese constitution think they would be fighting. Are they expecting a defensive war? Against whom? China, perhaps? Good luck! Probably they expect a quick victory over North Korea. Or are they hankering for the “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere” all over again?