Japan¡¯s Upper House began deliberations on constitutional revision this week, marking the start of parliamentary debates following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi¡¯s pledge to be ready to advance an amendment by next year.
While revising the postwar Constitution has long been a goal of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Takaichi¡¯s remarks drew criticism for appearing to set a timeline for progress. This was evident during this week¡¯s constitutional review committee hearing, in which opposition parties denounced her assertions and revealed that achieving that timeline would not be easy.
Japan has high hurdles for constitutional revision. Amending the supreme law requires a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament as well as a majority vote in a public referendum.
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