Abe casts absentee ballot for Sunday's upper house election

*BertieWooster

The constitution of Japan is this country's promise that it will never ever remilitarise and commit the atrocities it committed in the past. Changing the constitution negates this promise.*

Wrong. I do not know any Japanese around me that subscribe to your extreme point of view. Beefing its defense capability up is for the deterrent power in the military power balance. China has increased 25 times its military budget since 90s. I wish they had not. The constitution you are talking about should exist the balance between the US Japan treaty and article 9. For last at least 2 decades,the US feels as it was in 50,60,70s's level of responsibility for the protection of Japan becoming too much burden for the US. In order to release some of their responsibilities, Japan it self must take care of them.That has been the same request from the US when Democrats took over or Republican took over their administration. as a fact.

Also, the under UN P.K.O. mission, each time Japan needed to set a new time limited law in order to send JPN Defense Force to the world. Japan should not keep producing those loophole laws. Any government has a responsibility to protect its nation's asset and life for its citizen. If during those P.K.O. mission, any Defense Force officer is captured, Japan must be able to say he is a member of JPN military to be treated as a POW for his protection under the international law. But those JPN Officers who have gone to abroad for last 10 years are not technically military men. Because the based on Article 9, we do not have ANY military. The euphemism Japan has been using to Japanese and to the world now is getting to be a deception.

Also, I feel my sympathy to the all men and women in uniform to be sent abroad and their families when I think of their risk with their unclear status, but they use their life in some dangerous situations in our government's deception while our Defense Force does their mission for the US resolution. Defense Force being abroad itself makes no sense. It is about time to identify what our Defense Force is. My opinion, Japan must live in the world as a member of international family. With the appropriate status, Japan should be the part of P.K.O. do our responsibility.

BertieWooster

The constitution of Japan is this country's promise that it will never ever remilitarise and commit the atrocities it committed in the past.

To whom promise is it?

If my understanding of constitution is correct, it is not a promise to Chinese or Koreans but a promise by the government to the Japanese. If Japanese themselves change the constitution by national referendum, I do not see anything wrong.

I will vote for Abe if I can. Because all the other LDP guys are utterly worthless and more far-right than he is.

And Japan need to have some stability in the gov't instead of the revolving door of PMs. Even if Abe is an idiot. You folks have no other choice.

The concern Japanese should have is, how come with such a civilized group of folks, you can't find someone suitable to bring Japan back into the world stage? Most people don't even talk about Japan anymore. Its all about the Chinese and Koreans these days. Japan just doesn't have that aura and excitement anymore. Maybe its not just your leaders, its your people that had gone through some changes that you don't even realize.

The impression I get is Japanese are just going through the motions. The Chinese are improving on breakneck, breakback pace. The Koreans are innovating much like Japan in the 80s and 90s.

People in US used to get excited about Japanese cars these days. Now, most folks are looking at Korean cars as alternatives for style, value and comfort. Japan lost out in the mobile phones and electronics as well. The only thing Japan still has significant advantage is the gaming console industry, which is getting squeeze in by the Chinese in the near future.

Honestly, when people talk about Japan these days, yes you have good cars, hip edgy fashion, good sushi, anime/manga, and video games. But look at these things carefully, everything can be easily replaced since they are non-essential to our daily lives. What you need is what China can do, we can't live without Chinese manufactured goods. And honestly, even if we wish to replace China with another country, its not doable. Not one else have such centralized and advance infrastructure to support such vast and efficient output. So essentially, our lives, American, and Chinese had become inter-dependent. We can't function properly these days without one another.

That's what Japan doesn't have even with all the niceties Japan holds. That also means Japan's value become less important each day that goes by.

Abe's task should focus on making Japan strong enough independently so that when something does happens, Japan can stand on its own. Stop catering to everyone else, do what's best for Japan if you guys want to survive in the not-so-near future.

I wonder who he voted for.

If only he would also be an absentee PM.

I wonder who he voted for.

Abenomics (!)

Japan is forgetting the base upon which it was built- trade not war. Imagine the cost to the country if it did come to war. China is only a couple of hours from Japan and Japan is surrounded by water which makes it difficult to provide all the resources it needs- one must remember that Japa imports 90% 80- 90% of it's food and other resources it needs for industry to survive. However, I doubt that it would come to war. The real reason that many companies support changing Part 9 is that it means Japan will use a lot more resources in it's military. Right now there is little turnover of things like planes, tanks and other military equipment. If they were to be used (for god knows what reason) there would be greater turnover and hence companies which serve the military would be able to make more money. They would also be able to export their crafts overseas which means more "exports" even if the third world countries which would buy them really need them. It may be okay to change to constitution but one needs to look at the motives of the parties involved. One would expect the shares of selected companies to go up.... Is Abe copying the American way? One thing about this election is that it is so little reported as compared to recent elections. I wonder why.

You have no choice but to vote for Abenomics...what a delightful world we live in.

The constitution of Japan is this country's promise that it will never ever remilitarise and commit the atrocities it committed in the past.

Changing the constitution negates this promise.

Abe wants to rewrite the history books to omit the atrocities committed by Japan and show the country in a good light.

Abe also wants to rewrite the apology made for Japan's horrendous past by former PM Murayama.

He is creating antagonism with Japan's neighbours.

Abe is another Koizumi, an American puppy dog, slobbering all over Obama.

Join TPP, solve many of America's economic problems at the expense of his own people.

Promoting nuclear power technology while at the same time ignoring the still terrible situation in Fukushima.

And he wants to "strengthen Japan's security alliance with the U.S." So, he's going to create a Japanese army, navy and air force and make the same kind of mess of Asia that the U.S.A. has made of the Middle East.

Would anyone seriously vote for this person?

Chamkun,

I do not know any Japanese around me that subscribe to your extreme point of view.

The only thing I can say is that you probably need to get out more.

If you can understand Japanese, I recommend Demokura TV.

You will find this "extreme" point of view is very well represented.

See also:

http://www.japanfocus.org/events