  Traditional values and the ConstitutionAkahata editorial It is 59 years since the Japanese Constitution was proclaimed (November 3, 1946), and 58 years since it came into effect (May 3, 1947). This Constitution now represents Japan's traditional values, and its importance is increasing in the 21st century. While criticizing the Constitution as outdated and calling for its revision, the Liberal Democratic Party insists that the preamble of a "new constitution" include references to "traditional values." What is meant by "traditional values" that the pro-constitutional revision forces want included in the Constitution? 56-year life for Imperial Constitution The LDP's panel on a new constitution has published an outline of its proposal for constitutional revision. It said, "We have reached the common understanding that the emperor is inseparable from Japan's history, traditional values, and culture." The drafting committee's subcommittee demanded that a preamble state that the time has come for the people for the first time in history to establish a constitution on their own, based on the historic tradition of the Meiji Constitution and the present Japanese Constitution. These requests are based on the thinking that Japanese history and traditional values revolve around the emperor. Advocates of constitutional revision want to reintroduce the Meiji Constitution that gave the emperor sovereign power as something meaningful. Yasuoka Okiharu, LDP Research Commission on the Constitution chair and House of Representatives member, said in a Lower House Constitution Research Committee: "The new Constitution must have a Japanese flavor that matches the national character with its long history and tradition. It is important to confirm that the emperor system is an unparalleled system of great value in the world." (February 24) The LDP's reactionary anachronism, just like during the pre-war period, is clear in this statement that Japan's national character is based on the unparalleled emperor system. The LDP calls for Article 9 to be amended so that Japan can legally possess "national self-defense forces." This is not simply aimed at "making the SDF constitutional." It is geared to enable overseas dispatch of the new forces under the pretext that Japan should "contribute to international peace and security." The LDP draft urges the public to "fulfill their mission in national defense" in order to meet the above goal. A scheme to amend Article 9 to retrogressively remake Japan "a war-capable nation" is shared with the forgery of Japan's history and the glorifying of the war of aggression. One such move is a call for glorifying and reviving the Meiji Constitution, which was established to sustain the political system of suppressing human rights and democracy and exercising the war of aggression. It is no wonder that such a constitution ceased its life in 1945 after only 56 years since its founding. Peace and democratic principles of the new Constitution were validated after "revoking" the Meiji Constitution. Despotic policies under the absolutist emperor were rejected and replaced by democratic policies with the sovereignty vested with the public. The emperor was regarded as the symbol of the State instead of an absolute monarch, and he was endowed with "no power related to the government." For the first time in Japanese history, the public became the sovereign. Thus, the peace principles of renouncing war and non-war potentials bear a pioneering role in the world. Fully effectuate peace principles "Traditional values" can be worthy of its name only when it has substantial bearings that can be succeeded from the previous era to the future. Adverse constitutional revision toward the Meiji Constitution cannot be justified in the name of "tradition." Both in terms of its context and length, the present Constitution exceeds the Meiji Constitution. This is because the people consistently supported it, let it take deep root in the society, and consistently foiled revision attempts. The currents for an international peace order under the U.N. Charter require the Constitution's pacifism to prevail in the world. The Japanese Communist Party again declares that it will guarantee all constitutional articles, and specifically, fight to fully implement its peace and democratic clauses. (Akahata April 13, 2005) |