On May 3, DPJ President Katsuya Okada issued the following statement.

Today marks the 68th anniversary of the promulgation of the Japanese Constitution. Japan was defeated in World War II and promulgated the Constitution two years thereafter based on deep remorse over the war. Under our current Constitution, in accordance with the three basic principles of “the sovereignty of the people,” “pacifism,” and “respect for fundamental human rights” set forth in the Constitution, and by practicing these principles, Japan overcame obstacles of an unimaginable magnitude to create peace and prosperity enjoyed by all Japanese people. In this way, Japan has garnered significant praise from the international community. As we celebrate Constitution Memorial Day today, we reflect on the significance of the postwar history that has evolved with the Constitution.

Today, the Constitution of Japan faces its biggest turning point since its establishment.

Since its inauguration, the second Abe Cabinet has pressed forward with the enactment of the Act on the Protection of Specially Designated Secrets and the approval of a Cabinet Decision allowing the exercise of the right to collective self-defense. We have to say that these measures present challenges to constitutional government and democracy. Only those who lack a complete understanding of the essence of constitutionalism would revise the constitutional interpretation to suit their convenience. Furthermore, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s statement that the current Constitution was drafted in a mere eight days by General Headquarters (GHQ) amateurs denies the path that postwar Japan and the Constitution have followed.

Prime Minister Abe and the Liberal Democratic Party are eager to revise the Constitution as quickly as possible. With an eye on the national referendum, they have concealed their views on the Constitution, such as their hopes to establish a national defense force and place excessive restraints on human rights, and are focusing on items that will be endorsed by all political parties. This has derisively been termed “experimental constitutional revision” and we cannot accept the incorrect and irresponsible political approaches that it entails.

The DPJ, since its founding, has praised the role that the Constitution has played in the postwar period, and a decade ago in 2005, compiled the “Constitution Proposal.” The proposal states that our current Constitution should not be construed as “untouchable” and should be adapted to the changes in society, and that items not covered by the current Constitution should be dealt with by further augmenting the Constitution. It was based on these views that the DPJ played a leading role in the enactment of the National Referendum Act.

The DPJ hopes that careful deliberations regarding the Constitution take place (1) based on the recognition that Prime Minister Abe will highly value the current Constitution and the path Japan has taken in the postwar period; (2) taking into account the principle of constitutionalism, which is that the Constitution serves as the set of rules that restrict state power in order to secure the freedom and rights of the Japanese people; and (3) with a common understanding across the Diet and all political parties that our goal is to make something good even better.