TOKYO, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) reaffirmed its push for an early amendment to the country's pacifist constitution at a party convention in Tokyo on Sunday, triggering widespread concern and criticism among the public.
According to local media reports, LDP President Sanae Takaichi stressed in a speech at the annual gathering that "the time has come" to reform the constitution.
"We would like to hold next year's convention with a proposal for a constitutional amendment in sight," she added.
The LDP also adopted its 2026 campaign policy, which included a goal to submit a draft revised constitution to the Diet, or Japan's parliament, Kyodo News reported.
The moves quickly drew criticism on social media, where many people questioned the government's priorities. Some argued that the ruling party should "focus on tackling rising living costs rather than pushing ahead with constitutional changes." Others expressed concern that the constitution should serve to "protect the people from dangerous figures like Takaichi, but now the LDP claimed that constitutional amendment is crucial. This is too presumptuous."
Meanwhile, civic opposition to constitutional revision has continued to grow. On Wednesday evening, around 30,000 people gathered outside the parliament building in Tokyo to protest government moves that undermine the country's pacifist constitution. According to Kyodo News, similar demonstrations calling for the protection of the constitution took place at more than 160 locations nationwide on the same day, drawing a total of nearly 50,000 participants.
Earlier media reports noted that the LDP's proposed constitutional revisions include explicitly stipulating the existence of the Self-Defense Forces in the constitution to settle debates over their legality, as well as expanding government powers during states of emergency. ■
