Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday vowed to speed up discussions on revising the Constitution as Japan marked the 77th anniversary of its coming into force, while others called for it to remain unchanged in the face of recently introduced rules allowing defense equipment and technology transfers.
"With significant changes occurring in today's society, amending the Constitution has become an increasingly important issue that can no longer be put off," Kishida said in a video message sent to a gathering of pro-Constitutional amendment forces in Tokyo.
His call comes at a time when the war-renouncing Constitution has come under the spotlight after Japan relaxed its strict defense equipment transfer rules in March to allow the export of next-generation fighter jets, set to be jointly developed with Britain and Italy.
Japan had previously maintained a ban on the export of internationally co-developed weapons to third countries.
Kishida, who is now visiting Europe and South America, said in the video message that "certain parts (of the Constitution) which are insufficient or irrelevant" must now be reviewed.
He argued that amending the Constitution cannot be realized unless there are discussions for a proposal to be made in the Diet.
According to a recent Kyodo News poll, a majority of the Japanese public, or 65 percent, think there is no need to rush debating revisions to the Constitution in parliament.
Drafted by U.S.-led occupation forces after World War II, Japan's Constitution has never been amended since it came into effect in 1947, nor has a bid to initiate a formal amendment process ever been made, due partly to the high hurdle for proposing an amendment in parliament.
The ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Komeito party needs the help of some opposition forces to secure two-thirds majorities in both houses of the Diet before amendment proposals can be put to a national referendum.
Parties backing the current Constitution held a gathering at a park in Tokyo, with some taking issue with the meeting taking place while the LDP is mired in a political funds scandal.
Seiji Osaka, deputy president of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said, "I wonder whether lawmakers who may have violated the law in the political funds scandal have any legitimacy in debating the Constitution."
Referring to the government's decision to ease its strict defense equipment transfer rules, Tomoko Tamura, chairperson of the Japanese Communist Party, underscored her belief that Article 9 of the supreme law should be upheld, saying, "It is not possible to protect the peace with military power."
Article 9 renounces war and bans the possession of military forces or anything else with "war potential."
The LDP hopes to add an explicit reference to the Self-Defense Forces into the Constitution to leave no room for the argument that having armed organizations, even for self-defense, violates the pacifist charter.
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