Since the 1990's Japan's Liberal Democratic Party has dreamt of changing Article 9 of Japan's constitution which restricts the use of its military. In Shinzo Abe's first term as Prime Minister is myopic focus on forcing through these changes led to his resignation after just one year in office. Given a second chance he kept his ambitions for changing the constitution in the background until a few weeks into his second year in office. With decent approval ratings the Abe government is now pushing really hard for these changes, yet they seem impervious to concerns not only from Japanese voters but, other Asian countries as what these changes really mean and how they will affect its world standing.
Shinzo Abe like a majority of the LDP membership dream of return to the past when Japan was a major military power conventally forgetting just what was wrought by that power.
Japan has an "innate right" to defend itself, a special advisor to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told CNBC on Monday, following steps taken last week to move the country away from its pacifist constitution.
Last week, Abe's 14-member advisory panel issued a report urging the government to revamp Japan's security policy by removing the long-standing ban on collective self-defense known as Article 9 of the constitution, which would mean Japan help its allies abroad. Abe vocalized his support for the reform.
"In this world no one nation - even the mightiest the U.S. - can defend itself alone, so you have to team up with other like-minded peers in order to defend yourself," Tomohiko Taniguchi, special advisor to Abe, told CNBC Asia's "Squawk Box" .
"What's being discussed is something that every nation in the world has an innate right. For historical reasons it's been only Japan that's banned the Japanese armed forces from getting involved in collective actions," he added.
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