Archive | 2019
A flexibilidade do pacifismo japonês
Abstract
With the end of World War II (1939-1945), Japan adopted a new constitution in 1947, which was known as one of the great symbols of pacifist ideals since its establishment because of its Article 9 – where the military powers of Japan are restricted. For this reason, any attempt to revise the Constitution has an impact both domestically, regionally and internationally. However, it is necessary to open the black box and analyze whether the Japanese Constitution is actually driven by pacifism. In the light of the conceptions of realism about the need for a country to respond to the threats of the international system and questioning pacifism in Japan, this article revisits the history of the Constitution of Japan and the constitution of its Self-Defense Forces in order to discuss the behavior of the archipelago in the 21st century. The hypothesis underlying this article is that the Japanese government’s interpretations of the Constitution and its defense forces throughout history were and are necessary due to the on-going transformations in the international system, which promotes the need to reinterpret the document and strengthen the capacities of its defense forces.