-Self-Defense Forces and the Constitution: Heed the past to find a path to the future

Translated by Japan Focus

…So-called postwar progressive intellectuals were by and large critical of the Constitution that was forced on the nation by the occupation forces. But these people switched to a pro-Constitution position around 1950 mainly in reaction to America’s changed Japan policy. Because of the Cold War, the United States began demanding that Japan rearm itself and sends its troops overseas.

For this reason, even such a rightist as novelist Yukio Mishima conceded, “If we go the way of constitutional amendment, we would only be playing into America’s hands.’ At the time, rewriting the Constitution was tantamount to acquiescing to U.S. policy, while defending the Constitution and pursuing pacifism stood not only for “democracy’ but “independent statehood’ and “patriotism’ as well.

But such an understanding is often lacking in recent discussions about the Constitution, SDF dispatch abroad and patriotism. And some advocates of constitutional revision have even begun citing “a general sense of frustration in society’ as a reason for change, as if a new Constitution could perk people up like some new fashion trend might. This is cavalier at best….

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