Japan pushes constitutional change to recognize military forces

Japan’s prime minister on Monday publicly renewed her call to amend the country’s Constitution to explicitly recognize the Self-Defense Forces, signaling a renewed political push on a long-debated national security issue during a campaign appearance ahead of the next general election.

Speaking in Joetsu, Niigata Prefecture, Sanae Takaichi said she wants to revise the Constitution so the Self-Defense Forces are clearly positioned as a legitimate armed organization, arguing that such a change is necessary to protect the pride of service members and reflect current security realities. Her remarks were delivered during a stump speech supporting ruling-party candidates.

Takaichi said constitutional revision should be treated as a normal political task, adding that she wants voters to allow the government to proceed with what she described as a straightforward amendment process. She also pointed to institutional obstacles in the legislature, noting that the chairmanship of the Diet’s constitutional review committee is currently held by the opposition, which she said complicates efforts to advance debate.

Under Japan’s Constitution, any proposed amendment must first secure approval by a two-thirds majority in plenary sessions of both chambers of the National Diet, followed by a national referendum. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and other pro-revision parties failed to retain a two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives after the 2024 general election, limiting their ability to formally initiate constitutional changes.

Despite that setback, the LDP has continued to frame constitutional revision as a core policy objective. In its most recent election platform, the party pledged to carefully explain to the public its proposals for revising four constitutional provisions, including explicit language recognizing the Self-Defense Forces. Party officials have argued that the absence of clear constitutional status creates legal and political ambiguity for Japan’s military personnel.

The push echoes earlier efforts under former prime minister Shinzo Abe, whom Takaichi has described as her political mentor. During his second administration, Abe advanced proposals to revise Article 9 of the Constitution, which renounces war, by adding language to formally acknowledge the existence of the Self-Defense Forces while maintaining the article’s pacifist framework. Those efforts stalled amid political resistance and public division.

Japan’s current Constitution, drafted after World War II, does not explicitly mention the Self-Defense Forces, which were established in 1954. Successive governments have interpreted Article 9 to allow forces strictly for self-defense, but critics say the lack of explicit constitutional recognition leaves personnel exposed to legal uncertainty and fuels domestic and international debate over Japan’s military role.

Takaichi’s remarks come as Japan continues to expand its defense posture in response to regional security pressures, including missile developments in North Korea and increased Chinese military activity near Japanese territory. The government has approved higher defense spending, expanded counterstrike capabilities, and deepened security cooperation with the United States and other partners, even as constitutional constraints remain formally unchanged.

In her speech, the prime minister emphasized that advancing constitutional debate would require electoral gains by ruling and allied parties to reclaim procedural control in the Diet. She suggested that increasing the number of pro-revision lawmakers is essential to move discussions forward within parliamentary committees.