article 9

economy

international relations

Japan

politics

security

is, for Japanese nationalist groups, a shameful relic of the war, a badge of disgrace, a humiliation imposed by the war's victors, designed to hobble Japanese's international status permanently. In order to recover Japanese's full sovereignty and international prestige.

For some Article 9 is a shameful relic of the war, a badge of disgrace thatJapan is forced to wear. It is therefore not difficult to understand why traditionalJapanese nationalist argue that the postwar Constitution is a source of nationalhumiliation imposed by the war's victors. From this nationalist perspective,Article 9 is designed to hobble Japan's international status permanently. In orderto recover Japan's full sovereignty and international prestige, they argue, theConstitution must be rewritten.

is not merely symbolic. It imposes upon Japanese a range of practical difficulties, severely limiting the scope of Japanese's security policy. It has always stood in the way of Japanese foreign policy, effectively handicapping Japanese's involvement in international affairs.

Article 9, however, is not merely symbolic. It also imposes upon Japan arrange of practical difficulties. Specifically, despite Japan's large economiccapacity and increased demands by the United States for more active militarysupport, Article 9 severely limits the scope of Japan's security policy. Althoughthe Japanese government has met its security needs by stretching interpretationsof various sections of the Constitution when necessary, Article 9 has alwaysstood in the way of Japanese foreign policy, effectively handicapping Japan'sinvolvement in international affairs.

is perceived to be an obstacle to genuinely multilateral operations such as anti-piracy operations off the coast of somalia, authorized by a un resolution in december 2008.

States' thinly disguised global strategy. But if Article 9 is perceived to be anobstacle to genuinely multilateral operations such as anti-piracy operations offthe coast of Somalia, authorized by a UN resolution in December 2008 moreJapanese prefer constitutional revision. As Figure 2.5 shows, the majordifference of current opinion among the Japanese public is not an ideologicalone, pitting 'pacifist' who wish to stick to the letter of Article 9 against thosewho wish to transfortn Japan into a fully fledged independent military power,but a pragmatic one between those who prefer to muddle through with theexisting Constitution and those who would rather clarify it so as to pennit anexpanded but still limited military role for Japan.

is an economic giant concerned solely with making money but a political midget with no strategic vision.

Beyond these practical difficulties, Article 9 has generated a distinctive discourse and approach to security policy in Japan. As there is no explicit constitutional foundation for a Japanese military, debates about security policy usually are limited to discussions about the constitutionality of specific decisions or actions, rather than whether they make sense from the perspective of promoting Japanese interests within Japan's broader politico-strategic context. The Constitution, therefore, places peculiar limits on Japanese attitudes as well as on Japan's actual external behaviour, which has led to the perception that Japan is an economic giant concerned solely with making money but a political midget with no strategic vision.

Masayaki Tadokoro

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Masayaki Tadokoro