QNA / X
Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Sunday, May 3, 2026, signaled her intention to pursue a revision of the Constitution, as she stressed that the postwar supreme law, which serves as the foundation of the country, "should be periodically updated in accordance with the demands of the times."
Speaking in a video message to a gathering of revision proponents on Constitution Memorial Day, Takaichi vowed to explain potential amendments carefully to the public, adding that her ruling Liberal Democratic Party would "advance discussions in the Diet aimed at reaching decisions while securing the cooperation of other parties."
A recent Kyodo News poll showed that 73% of the Japanese public called for prioritizing a broad consensus across political parties when moving toward an amendment of the Constitution.
"Discussion must not be for the sake of discussion alone. What politicians must engage in, in order to fulfill the trust placed in them by the people, is discussion aimed at making decisions," Takaichi said.
Takaichi is pushing to bring about a change to the Constitution for the first time since it came into effect following World War II. Among possible areas of amendment is the war-renouncing Article 9, which is seen as the cornerstone of Japan's postwar pacifist stance.
