April 14, 2026

Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae, who also heads the Liberal Democratic Party, in her address to the annual LDP Convention on April 12 expressed her intent to set the next Convention as a deadline for initiating constitutional amendments.

The Constitution is the supreme law that limits the power of government and protects individuals’ rights and liberties. It is unacceptable for PM Takaichi to set a one-year deadline and a timetable to introduce and pass a constitutional amendment proposal.

However, in the first place, it is extremely difficult for the LDP to achieve the goal set by PM Takaichi in light of Article 96 of the Constitution which stipulates the requirements for constitutional amendment.

As conditions for amendments to the Constitution, Article 96 requires the approval of a two-thirds majority in each House and the approval of the majority of voters in a national referendum. Currently, the LDP, while holding more than two thirds of the House of Representatives seats, is in a minority position in the House of Councillors.

The LDP in its “new policy vision” which was published in the latest congress stressed that constitutional revision is “vitally needed”. Contrary to this, in an opinion poll the Asahi Shimbun conducted soon after the February general election, asked about the most desired policy focus, 51% of respondents called for measures to deal with the cost of living crisis and only 5% cited constitutional revision.

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira at a press conference on April 13 emphasized, “The vitally important consideration is that the government works to support an end to the Iran War and to protect people’s livelihoods from negative impacts from the war such as from a surge in oil prices and material shortages.” He expressed his determination to work hard to strengthen public opposition to constitutional revision which a clear majority of the general public do not want.