Historical Survey On Japanese Right-wing Forces To Revise Peace Constitution

In order to prevent Japan from taking the road to fascist militarism again after the World War Ⅱ, the occupation authorities of the United States helped Japan lay down and enact the Constitution of Japan, namely "Peace Constitution". The early arrival of the Cold War brought about the Japanese right-wing forces’ revival, from which the dispute, namely "constitutional amendment" and "constitutional maintenance", between two fictions has been initiated and lasted throughout Japan’ postwar. As a dynamic process, the dispute presents different features at different times and occasions among different political parties and groups. The propositions of constitution modification change over time even within the same party and group. Japan’s constitutional activities have great influence on the Sino-Japanese relations, the situations in East Asia as well as the world peace. Thus, methods including literature analysis and historical comparison taken in this thesis carry out a systematic and in-depth study on the bouts of the two factions, with hopes to compensate for the lack of academic research on this problem and contribute to the improvement of Sino-Japanese relations.The thesis is comprised of four chapters and conclusion part.Chapter one introduces the promulgating and contents of the Peace Constitution. Starting with the US policy of alone occupation in Japan, this part analyzes the process, main content and influence of the constitution. The thesis holds the Peace Constitution which reflects national sovereignty and shows respect for human rights and pacifism brings peace for East Asia and prevents Japan from remilitarizing its nation. However, the Ashida amendment provides the basis for the conformation of Japan-US alliance and constitutional amendment countercurrent, causing the constitutional-amending movement.Chapter two describes early struggles between the constitutional amendment and the constitutional maintenance. The backgrounds of this chapter are that the United States changed its policy toward Japan and the right-wing forces revived. The chapter elaborates the first "constitutional amendment" wave, constitutional activities in the sixties and seventies, and counterattack of the faction who defends the Japan’s Peace Constitution. Even though constitutional amendment faction relied on the Japan-US security system to revise the constitution, the conspiracy did not succeed under the struggles of the two factions and Japanese citizens.Chapter three mainly discusses the revision of constitution in Yasuhiro Nakasone Cabinet period. Starting with the reconstruction of Japan’s economy and rise of the neo-conservatism in the latter part of the Cold War, it analyzes the individual constitutional words and deeds of Prime Minister Nakasone and constitutional attempt of Cabinet, concluding that postwar political master plan which was advanced by Nakasone helped upgrade the struggles.Chapter four emphasizes on the constitutional activities of Japanese right-wing forces in the post Cold War era. It explores the stance toward the constitutional revision of Koizumi Cabinet and Abe Cabinet when the Japanese society became overall rightist, In the post Cold war, the forces defending the constitution were severely weakened, and constitutional amendment wave was more turbulent. Vigilance should be maintained against Japanese right-wing forces that would revive militarism through the constitutional amendment.The conclusion part is to sum up the whole constitutional words and deeds of Japanese right-wing forces since World War II, and forecast the prospect of the revision of constitution.