Japanese reactionaries revealed their sinister design of revising the present constitution, insisting on “change of international environment” and “full discussion among citizens” on the occasion of the 75 th anniversary of enforcement of the constitution.

Prime Minister Kishida, in his video message sent to the open symposium of constitution that took place in Tokyo on May 3, clarified his stand that: “The parts that do not accord with the times and to be supplemented should be revised accordingly.”, “Now is the time for continued challenge for the revision of constitution when there’s a major change going on in the society.”

In particular, with regard to proposal of stipulating the “Self-Defense Forces” in the Article 9 of the constitution, he said it is a “contemporary task” which calls for early realization.

At the joint talks of ruling-opposition Parties announced on the occasion of the day of the constitution, he also asserted that the Liberal Democratic Party and the Imperial Restoration Society of Japan will get down to the revision of constitution.

The present constitution of Japan is a legal commitment made by Japan, the defeated nation in the World War II, before the international society that it will never take the path of militarization and overseas aggression but go for along the road of peace. The core provision of the constitution is the Article 9 which stipulates waiving war as well as denial of the right to full power and belligerency.

Since its defeat in the war up to now, Japan that has, in fact, reduced the Article 9 of the Constitution to a mere scrap of paper by introducing all sorts of war laws and regulations, and expanded the “Self-Defense Forces” into aggressive forces in defiance of the principle of “total defense”. The only thing that is left for Japan now is to transform itself into the “country with the legal right to belligerency” by writing the war Constitution.

After all, the moves of Japanese reactionaries to revise the constitution constitute the reckless attempt of the militarists to open up, at any cost, the path towards reinvasion by shedding itself of the yoke of “peace constitution”.

What causes more of concern is the fact that revision of the constitution is enforced amidst the unprecedented heat of militarism on the Japanese islands, including possession of preemptive strike capability and increase of defense costs finding excuse in the Ukrainian crisis.

There is no guarantee whatsoever that Japan would not repeat crime-ridden history of invasion when it persists in avoiding an apology and compensation for its past war of massacre, praising it as a “liberation war” and its colonial fascist rule as a “contribution to modernization”.

Japan’s attempt to revise “peace constitution” amounts to cooking up a war constitution.

The moves to revise the constitution will result in transforming Japan into the dangerous state of reinvasion and it will only beget tragic results.

Kim Sol Hwa

Researcher of Institute for Studies of Japan

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, DPRK