Constitution Day Statement

May 3 , 2013

Each year on May 3, New Komeito releases a formal statement on constitutional issues and the challenges the Constitution faces. On the 66th anniversary of the Constitution’s ratification, the party issued the following on May 3, 2013:

The Constitution of Japan was enacted 66 years ago today, just two years after the end of World War II. Emerging from the ruins of war, Japan managed to develop into the nation it is now under the aegis of its constitution, which is framed on the core ideals of eternal pacifism, basic human rights and popular sovereignty, universal principles that epitomize the wisdom of humanity.

New Komeito has and will always remain fully committed to the constitutional spirit of peace, human rights and democracy, striving to establish this spirit in every facet of our national life and society, and to bring it to full flower.

“We recognize that all peoples of the world have the right to live in peace, free from fear and want.” This is the ideal declared in the preamble of our Constitution, one that shines all the more brightly as the international community today struggles to realize a world without nuclear weapons. Our party has long led the effort to abolish nuclear arms so that Japan may fulfill its mission as the only country in the world to survive an atomic bombing.

Nearly two years and two months have passed since a massive earthquake and tsunami struck east Japan on March 11, 2011. The Constitution ensures the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all in Article 13, the right to a minimally acceptable standard of wholesome and cultured living guaranteed in Article 25. While extending our heartfelt sympathies to every victim of the calamity, we pledge to work even harder in the effort to rebuild their lives and their communities as mandated by the Constitution’s humanitarian ideals.

New Komeito’s stand on constitutional amendments is this: The Constitution of Japan remains one of the finest of its kind, and while the three principles of peace, human rights and democracy that it embodies must be preserved, new ideals such as the right to a clean and safe environment that have been proposed to meet our changing times should be incorporated as well—this, we believe, is the most realistic and reasonable method to augment the highest law of the land.

As for Article 9, both the renunciation of war as stipulated in its first clause and the disavowal of “war potential” stipulated in its second clause should be upheld. We are, however, examining whether the article could be augmented with provisions that recognize the Self-Defense Force and its mission to contribute to the betterment of the international community.

A recent focus of discussion appears to be whether Article 96 should or should not be amended. New Komeito feels that any attempt to ease the requirements to enact constitutional amendments as mandated in this article without addressing more important issues is premature. It is our belief that the reason Article 96 makes amending the Constitution so difficult—requiring the consent of two-thirds or more members of both Houses of the Diet—is because the Constitution, as with similar documents around the world, is expected remain far more resilient to change than ordinary laws.

The prevailing view within our party recognizes the legitimacy of this resilience out of the constitutionalist perspective that a constitution is established in order to protect the human rights of citizens from abuses by the state.

Still, our Constitution was never meant to be an unchanging codification of core legal values. Instead, we contend that a broad, comprehensive perspective is essential when discussing any amendment, and that such discussions specify which provision, including the “two-thirds” requirement, should be revised and to what extent these revisions may be appropriate.

As the highest law of the land, the Constitution defines our country. The challenges Japan faces today are manifold and daunting, brought on by an aging population and declining birthrate, as well as by the March 11 disaster—making a fundamental rethink of our nation’s future imperative. New Komeito is striving to develop a vision that is truly oriented to the future, shaping it through countless discussions—including those regarding amending the Constitution—with our fellow citizens, an effort we will be engaging in with integrity, diligence and patience.

May 3, 2013
New Komeito