politics

Former PM Nakasone turns 100; hopes for Constitution amendment

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According to Nakasone, the key to longevity is to lead an orderly life and "insatiable" intellectual curiosity, among other things.

Also helps if you have a lot of money. You can afford the best food and care.

12 ( +12 / -0 )

Don't think I would take advice from an ex PM particularly a 100 year old one. Educated 80 years ago, not quite got his finger on the pulse I'd wager. But he wants to change the constitution back to when he was a child...ah childhoods are such good memories.

6 ( +13 / -7 )

I remember him well. Some of his policies were actually quite good, but many cursed him when the sales tax was introduced.

I guess he was the first Japanese PM who really wanted to internationalise Japan.

Congratulations on reaching 100, but I don't know why his private opinions are reported. (although he is perectfectly entitled to his views like anybody else). He has not been on the political scene for a long time now.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Meanwhile Article 9 has saved Japan time and time again regardless of who is in charge. More countries should have it, not fewer. This continues to keep the warmongers in check, no matter how long they live

6 ( +7 / -1 )

He made the same birthday wishing since the age of 30 and he is still making the same wish. Hey where is his student Hashimoto Ryutaro they should have a friends union!

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Looking pretty chipper at 100. Hard to believe the 80s were so far back in the past.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

exactly the kind of people we should not be taking advice from. dinosaurs...

3 ( +10 / -7 )

Congrats on turning 100!

But...

"Both the ruling and opposition parties should make serious efforts to stir up public opinion and to seek to create a Constitution that involves true public participation."

yeah, so long as they agree with you. If they don't, which the majority do NOT, then you don't consider it "true public participation". The people don't want it changed, plain and simple, no matter how long you live and hope to see it changed before you leave this world. Having lived through war, you should know better and be wiser at the age you are. But alas, "with age comes wisdom" does not apply in many cases.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

PM Abe will amend the Constitution by 2020. A new and powerful Japan will born!

And the skies will be torn asunder, the earth will quiver and the seas shall broil!

Say no to war and yes to pacifism.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

With a new Japanese era to start next year following the abdication of Emperor Akihito, Nakasone said he feels "deep emotion" for having lived in four eras -- Taisho, Showa, Heisei and the one to begin next May with the ascension of Crown Prince Naruhito to the Chrysanthemum Throne

And learned absolutely NOTHING!!!!!! His advice is an embarrassment to EVERYTHING Japan has become DESPITE people like HIM & abe & his ilk!

How on earth can these  old fossils NOT see how their ways of thinking are horribly WRONG!!!

Here's hoping his thoughts DONT catch on with young Japanese, if they do they will RIP Japan apart LITTERALLY once again!

Just sayin

1 ( +7 / -6 )

Nakasone graduated from Tokyo Imperial University and was an officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.

I wonder what he did in WWII.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

uh... zichi... I think you meant "renounce" war, unless you were being sarcastic.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

CrickyMay 27 05:49 pm JST

Don't think I would take advice from an ex PM particularly a 100 year old one. Educated 80 years ago, not quite got his finger on the pulse I'd wager. But he wants to change the constitution back to when he was a child...ah childhoods are such good memories.

Nowhere does it state that he wants to see Japan revert to the constitution when he was a child. It states that he wants to see the current constitution revised.

Back in the 1980s "Ron" Reagan asked "Yas" Nakasone if Japan would agree to help defend Guam. This was at the peak of the Cold War. Nakasone declined saying that the current constitution would not allow it. This inequitable relationship between the US and Japan has been a nagging sore point among many politicians in both the US and Japan for many decades.

The United States has continued to press Japan for revision since 1950. I fully agree with Nakasone's view that it should be revised.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

Article 9 is a wonderful thing and should be adopted by every country in the world. And if it were, we'd have a lot more peace with nations denouncing their right to wage war. But of course that is not reality. No nation on earth has such a clause in their constitution. Not even Germany. The U.S. has pressured Japan to change their constitution since 1950, just 5 years after their defeat in WWII and article 9 was forced upon them. Since then Japan has used Article 9 as an "excuse" to avoid contributing military forces in multi-nation actions.

There is absolutely no doubt that if Japan could continue as it has for the last 70 years, it would. And really, who could blame them? But in 2010, all the efforts by the U.S. for some 60 years that had failed were overshadowed by actions which exposed the militaristic and territorial expansionist agenda of China. A nations which just 30 years earlier had turned to Japan for help in improving their economic lot. Japan suddenly awoke out of their "heiwa boke" and began moving forward to correct aspects of it's system of defense that could only be taken advantage of by any adversarial country.

Revising the second paragraph of Article 9 to eliminate constitutional contradictions is a necessity. The contradiction allows adversarial nations and their supporters to perpetually criticize any effort Japan makes to improve it's defense capability. Japan should keep the first paragraph that renounces the use of war, and those adversarial nations should learn to adopt and live up to it themselves.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Seems to me he's done a good job considering the incredible changing times he's lived through. I agree that it's time Japan made a bit of a change to that part of the constitution. Actually, I think I should read that part first. But from what I know, maybe a bit of tweaking would be good.

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

Oi pops put a sock in it, aint no changing article 9!

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

zichiToday 03:41 pm JST

Article 9 is a wonderful thing and should be adopted by every country in the world

For 70 years Article 9 has kept Japan at peace, proof the pudding. There are many "neutral countries". There are seven in Europe.

Wrong zichi. For 70 years it is not Article 9 that has kept Japan at peace. People keep their promises because they want to, not because they signed a contract saying so. And nations are like people. Japan has been at peace for 70 years because as a nation that experienced the total devastation and suffering of "war" they don't want anything to do with it. Just look at the demonstrations against even touching the constitution.

Japan would love to stay this way. But the geopolitics of the surrounding region will not allow it. For the same reason, becoming a "neutral" country doesn't quite work either.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Everyone is making a big deal about nothing. The change in the Constitution does nothing but legitimize the existence of the Self Defense Forces and collective self-defense. Japan has had the ability to fight a war since the 1950s and has chosen not to. A sentence written on a piece of paper isn't what's stopping them from fighting wars.

Japan could never equal China as a military force and therefore must continue with a road of peace.

Yea, Japan has eclipsed China militarily for half a millennia.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

"I wonder what he did in WWII."

He fought for Japan.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

A great man and a very wise man. Japan is heeding his advice. Please live longer. PM Abe will amend the Constitution by 2020. A new and powerful Japan will born!

Banzai Nakasone san!

-24 ( +2 / -26 )

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