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Global Journalist: Japanese Pacifism Under Attack

(U.S. Pacific Command/Creative Commons)

After World War II, Japan adopted a constitution that formally renounced war or maintaining military forces.

Now Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wants to change that. Bolstered by his party’s big win in recent elections, Abe wants to purge the pacifist clause in Japan’s constitution. The move could lead the country into future wars and is reopening a debate in Japan on the country’s role in the world. 

On this edition of Global Journalist, we look at Japan’s post-World War II pacifism and what a change of course would mean for relations with its Asian neighbors and the U.S.

Joining the program:

    • Andrew Gordon, professor of history, Harvard University.
    • Isabel Reynolds, Japan correspondent, Bloomberg News.
    • Kenneth McElwain, associate professor of political science at the University of Tokyo.
    • Narushige Michishita, a professor who teaches international relations at Tokyo’s National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS).

Jason left Global Journalist in 2019
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