Proposed Japanese constitutional referendum

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Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution Referendum is a referendum that was expected to take place in 2020. In May 2017, then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe set a 2020 deadline for revising Article 9, which would legitimize the Japan Self-Defense Forces in the Japanese constitution. [1] [2] [3] [4] Abe and his Cabinet resigned in September 2020, due to Abe's health problems. [5] Under his successor Fumio Kishida, parliament revised referendum law on June 2021 to make it easier to vote by allowing temporary voting station. The move was considered as a step toward the possibility of the constitutional referendum taking place. [6] Kishida renewed calls for the referendum in May 2023. [7]

Contents

Public opinion

DateFirmYesNoUndecidedLeadSample sizeNotes
1 March – 11 April 2022Kyodo News poll [8] 50%48%2%
13 May 2021The Asahi Shimbun poll [9] 45%44%1%
18 April 2021Mainichi Shimbun poll [10] 48%31%17%
2019 [11] 40%54%14%
2017Kyodo News poll [12] 49%47%2%
2017Asahi poll [13] 29%63%34%
2017NHK poll [12] 25%57%32%

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References

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  2. Osaki, Tomohiro; Kikuchi, Daisuke (3 May 2017). "Abe declares 2020 as goal for new Constitution". The Japan Times . Archived from the original on 2 March 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  3. "Japan's Abe hopes for reform of pacifist charter by 2020". Reuters . 3 May 2017. Archived from the original on 3 January 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
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  5. "Japan's prime minister steps down". Politico . Associated Press. 16 September 2020. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  6. "Japan enacts revised referendum law in constitutional amendment push". Kyodo News . 11 June 2021. Archived from the original on 16 July 2023.
  7. Otani, Jiro (5 May 2023). "Kishida: Constitutional Reform Referendum Should Happen 'As Soon as Possible'". Japan Forward . Archived from the original on 16 July 2023.
  8. "Japan still divided on revising war-renouncing Constitution: Survey". Kyodo News . 2 May 2022. Archived from the original on 2 June 2023.
  9. Isobe, Yoshitaka (3 May 2021). "Survey: Voters evenly split on need for revising the Constitution". The Asahi Shimbun . Archived from the original on 10 June 2023.
  10. "48% back revision of Japan's Constitution, 12 points up from last year: Mainichi poll". Mainichi Shimbun . 3 May 2021. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022.
  11. "Poll shows 54% oppose revision of Japan's pacifist Constitution under Abe's watch". The Japan Times . Kyodo News. 11 April 2019. Archived from the original on 16 January 2023.
  12. 1 2 Mark, Craig (18 May 2017). "Japan Debates Changing Its Pacifist Constitution". The Diplomat . Archived from the original on 1 April 2018. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  13. Kingston, Jeff (13 May 2017). "Japan's constitutional rebirth or reincarnation?". The Japan Times . Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.

Further reading