Over Half Of Japanese Oppose Amending Constitution - Poll

Fifty-six percent of Japanese citizens oppose amending the country's constitution to mention the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF), which would establish a legal basis for their existence, a poll showed on Tuesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd July, 2019) Fifty-six percent of Japanese citizens oppose amending the country's constitution to mention the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF), which would establish a legal basis for their existence, a poll showed on Tuesday.

On Monday, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he wanted a "flexible" discussion on the matter after the results of Sunday's election to the upper house showed that the ruling coalition failed to gain two-thirds of the seats needed to amend the constitution without a debate.

According to a poll issued by the Kyodo news agency, only 32.2 percent of the respondents supported the amendment.

Abe's government has sought to change the country's main law to include the Japanese Self-Defense Forces so that their existence is no longer deemed "anti-constitutional." The amendment requires a two-thirds majority in each house of parliament to pass. In addition, the motion must win a simple majority in a constitutional referendum.

At the same time, neighboring countries, primarily North and South Korea, have repeatedly expressed fears that Tokyo is trying to revive the Japanese militarism that caused great suffering among Korean people throughout World War II.