Koizumi Says Need of Constitutional Amendment For SDF

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi insisted on the need of revising the peace constitution to acknowledge the Japan`s Self Defense Force (SDF) as the nation`s army by saying, “I think Japan`s SDF is practically the military forces of Japan.”

The Japanese Prime Minister said before the Upper House of Japan, “It is desirable for Japan to amend the constitution to regard the SDF as our military forces to protect national peace and independence. It is time for Japan to restore honor and right status to the SDF.”

Japan`s powerful Lower House of the Diet passed, with an overwhelming majority, a set of cabinet-submitted "war contingency bills" last week. The proposed constitutional amendment will empower Tokyo to mobilize its mighty Self-Defense Forces to aggressively cope with "a military attack situation." Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who had tried to gain consensus among different parties, hailed Japan`s first such legislation since the end of World War II as "epoch making." The Japanese Prime Minister`s remark has been drawing a lot of attention because it is the first time for Japan to declare constitutional revision as part of its move to militarization of the SDF and to making its emperor as the head of the state.

The current Japanese constitution bans SDF`s possession of army, navy, and air forces.

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