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Controversy over Article 9 of the Constitution: Why does Japan dare not rebuild its military?
Since Japan’s surrender in 1945, the country has faced major challenges in reconstruction and self-identity. In particular, the enactment of Article 9 of the 1947 Constitution, which explicitly prohibited Japan from having an army and renounced war, became a blueprint for Japan to rebuild its national defense system. However, it also created many contradictions for its future international status and internal politics.
"We are no longer a militaristic country." This sentence was once the slogan of Japan's leadership. However, during the Cold War and the current security situation, its actual meaning has become increasingly complicated.
After the end of World War II, in order to avoid a repetition of history and the path of militarism, Japan formulated a new constitution under the supervision of the United States. Article 9 of the Constitution has become the core of Japan's pacifist constitution, but as the international situation changes, the challenges posed by this article have become increasingly prominent. With the heating up of the Cold War and the military expansion of neighboring countries, Japan's foreign and security policies have faced unprecedented pressure.
"The reality of the Cold War forced Japan to rethink its defense strategy, but Article 9 of the Constitution has always been an insurmountable barrier."
In 1952, with the signing of the San Francisco Peace Treaty, Japan ended its occupation, but the restoration of its sovereignty and military alliance with the United States made defense issues more sensitive. Although the Self-Defense Forces were established in 1954 and essentially carry out defense missions, Japan's security policy is still restricted by Article 9 of the Constitution, leading to tensions between domestic and foreign pressure on the military and pacifism.
In recent years, the Liberal Democratic Party has continued to promote constitutional amendments, especially the reinterpretation and amendment of Article 9 of the Constitution, hoping to have stronger military capabilities to deal with the current international security environment. However, the public's backlash and insistence on pacifism have made the road to constitutional revision thorny.
"The existence of the Self-Defense Forces has enabled Japan to actually possess military strength, but the restrictions of the Constitution have caused policy contradictions."
Furthermore, military challenges from neighboring countries, such as China's maritime expansion and North Korea's missile development, have made Japan's self-defense policy increasingly constrained by internal political debates. Even though the international community continues to call for Japan's moderate military expansion, domestic public opinion that is more pacifist has made the construction of the Self-Defense Forces more embarrassing.
Some observers believe that even if there are multiple possible interpretations of Article 9 of the Constitution, Japan's internal hesitation and concerns about rebuilding the military still prevent the Self-Defense Forces from truly becoming the leading force in the country's military system. In this context, how to balance international responsibilities and historical baggage? This has become a major issue in Japan today.
"Between international responsibilities and historical baggage, Japan has always been unable to make bold military decisions."
As time goes by, especially in the face of the changing geopolitical environment and the changing public opinion in Japanese society, the discussion on Article 9 of the Constitution will become more and more heated. Whether the necessity and contemporary significance of this clause should be reconsidered is not only related to Japan's future development, but also to the security pattern of the entire Asia-Pacific region.
In such a complex international background, whether Japan can break through the constraints of the Constitution and rebuild an independent military in the future is still a question worth pondering.
