Editing Constitution of Japan (section)

=== Renunciation of war (Article 9) ===
{{Main|Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution}}

Under Article 9, "the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes". To this end, the article provides that "land, sea, and air forces, as well as another war potential, will never be maintained". The necessity and practical extent of Article 9 have been debated in Japan since its enactment, particularly following the establishment of the [[Japan Self-Defence Forces]] (JSDF) in 1954, a ''de facto'' post-war Japanese military force that substitutes for the [[Armed Forces of the Empire of Japan|pre-war Armed Forces]], since 1 July 1954. Some lower courts have found the JSDF unconstitutional, but the [[Supreme Court of Japan|Supreme Court]] never ruled on this issue.<ref name=":0" />

Individuals have also challenged the presence of [[United States Forces Japan|U.S. forces in Japan]] as well as the [[Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security Between the United States and Japan|U.S.-Japan Security Treaty]] under Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan.<ref name=":1">{{cite journal |last1=Chen |first1=Po Liang |last2=Wada |first2=Jordan T. |title=Can the Japanese Supreme Court Overcome the Political Question Hurdle? |journal=Washington International Law Journal |date=2017 |volume=26 |pages=349–79 |url=https://digitalcommons.law.uw.edu/wilj/vol26/iss2/8/}}</ref> The [[Supreme Court of Japan]] has found that the stationing of U.S. forces did not violate Article 9, because it did not involve forces under Japanese command.<ref name=":1" /> The Court ruled the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty to be a highly sensitive political question, and declined to rule on its legality under the [[Political question#Japan|political question doctrine]].<ref name=":1" />

Various political groups have called for either revising or abolishing the restrictions of Article 9 to permit collective defense efforts and strengthen Japan's military capabilities.<ref name="Japan LDP policy chief Inada calls for changing pacifist constitution">{{cite news |last1=Calls for revision |first1=Japan LDP Chief |title=Japan's LDP Chief Calls for Revision of Article 9 Pacifist Rule |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/japan-election-inada/japan-ldp-policy-chief-inada-calls-for-changing-pacifist-constitution-idUKT9N16400H |access-date=4 May 2022 |work=Reuters |publisher=Reuters Staff |date=10 July 2016}}</ref> On July 1, 2014, the [[Cabinet of Japan]] approved a reinterpretation of Article 9 to allow the nation to engage in "collective self-defense."<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Primer on Japan's Constitutional Reinterpretation and Right to Collective Self-Defense |url=https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/primer-japans-constitutional-reinterpretation-and-right-collective-self-defense |access-date=2024-03-08 |website=Default |language=en}}</ref>

The United States has pressured Japan to amend Article 9 and to rearm<ref>{{cite web|title=Article 9 and the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty {{!}} Asia for Educators {{!}} Columbia University|url=http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/japan_1950_usjapan.htm|access-date=2021-05-24|website=afe.easia.columbia.edu}}</ref><ref name="Takenaka">{{Cite news|last=Takenaka|first=Linda Sieg, Kiyoshi|date=2014-07-01|title=Japan takes historic step from post-war pacifism, OKs fighting for allies|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-defense-idUSKBN0F52S120140701|access-date=2021-05-24}}</ref> as early as 1948<ref name="Umeda">{{cite web|last=Umeda|first=Sayuri|date=September 2015|title=Japan: Interpretations of Article 9 of the Constitution|url=https://www.loc.gov/law/help/japan-constitution/interpretations-article9.php|access-date=2021-05-24|website=www.loc.gov}}</ref> with Japan gradually expanding its military capabilities, "sidestepping constitutional constraints".<ref>{{cite web|last=Kingston|first=Jeff|date=2020-11-11|title=Japan's quiet rearmament|url=https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/japans-quiet-rearmament-shinzo-abe|access-date=2021-05-24|website=Prospect Magazine|language=en-US}}</ref>