Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan is a "No War" clause. It dates from 1947. The Constitution of Japan has been the founding legal document of Japan since 1947. ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ...

ARTICLE 9. Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.

In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.

Historical background

Some historians attribute the inclusion of Article 9 to Charles Kades, one of MacArthur's closest associates, who was impressed by the spirit of the 1928 Kellogg-Briand Pact renouncing war. MacArthur claimed that the idea had been suggested to him by Prime Minister Kijuro Shidehara, although Shidehara claimed that the article was not his idea. Douglas MacArthur GCB (January 26, 1880 – April 5, 1964) was an American general and Medal of Honor recipient, who commanded the Southwest Pacific Theater, in World War Two. ... 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Kellogg-Briand Pact, also known as the Pact of Paris, after the city where it was signed on August 27, 1928, is an international treaty providing for the renunciation of war as an instrument of national policy. ... Shidehara on a 1931 issue of TIME magazine. ...

The article's acceptance by the Japanese government may in part be explained by the desire to protect the imperial throne. Some Allied leaders saw the emperor as the primary factor in Japan's warlike behavior. His assent to the "No War" clause weakened their arguments for abolishing the throne or trying the emperor as a war criminal. The group of countries known as the Allies of World War II came together, to fight the Axis Powers, as World War II unfolded and progressed. ...

Interpretation

Sailors of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, one of the quasi-military forces permitted under Article 9.

Soon after the adoption of the constitution of Japan in 1947, there was a desire on the part of the United States occupation forces for Japan to take a more active military role in the struggle against communism. Download high resolution version (1200x787, 291 KB)Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (May 4, 2004) - Japanese Sailors aboard the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) training vessel JDS Kashima (TV 3508) stand in ranks after docking in Pearl Harbor. ... Download high resolution version (1200x787, 291 KB)Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (May 4, 2004) - Japanese Sailors aboard the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) training vessel JDS Kashima (TV 3508) stand in ranks after docking in Pearl Harbor. ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ...

Article 9 has had broad implications for foreign policy and has been reinterpreted by the ruling government as renouncing the use of force in international affairs, but not renouncing the internal use of force for the purpose of maintaining law and order. This interpretation, which is opposed by many in the left-wing in Japan, allowed for the creation of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF). In practice, the Japan Self-Defense Forces are very well equipped and the maritime forces are widely considered to be stronger than the navies of some of Japan's neighbors. In politics, left-wing, political left, leftism, or simply the left, are terms which refer (with no particular precision) to the segment of the political spectrum typically associated with any of several strains of socialism, social democracy, or liberalism (especially in the American sense of the word), or with opposition... The Japan Self-Defense Forces (Japanese: 自衛隊, Jieitai) or JSDF, are the military forces in Japan that were established after the end of World War II. The force has been engaged in no real combat but has been engaged in some international peacekeeping operations. ...

The Supreme Court of Japan reinforced the constitutionality of armed self-defense in several major rulings, most notably the "Sunakawa Case" of 1959, which upheld the legality of the then-current US-Japan Security Treaty. The Supreme Court of Japan (最高裁判所, Saikō-Saibansho; shortly called 最高裁, Saikō-Sai), located in Chiyoda, Tokyo is the highest court in Japan. ...

Debate

Since the late-1990s, Article 9 has been the central feature of a dispute over the ability of Japan to undertake multilateral military commitments overseas. During the late 1980s, increases in government appropriations for the JSDF averaged more than 5 percent per year. By 1990 Japan was ranked third, behind the then-Soviet Union and the United States, in total defense expenditures, and the United States urged Japan to assume a larger share of the burden of defense of the western Pacific. Given these circumstances, some have viewed Article 9 as increasingly irrelevant. It has remained, however, an important brake on the growth of Japan's military capabilities. Despite the fading of bitter wartime memories, the general public, according to opinion polls, continued to show strong support for this constitutional provision. The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999, inclusive. ... The 1980s decade refers to the years from 1980 to 1989, inclusive. ... This article is about the year. ... The Pacific Ocean (from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, peaceful sea, bestowed upon it by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan) is the worlds largest body of water. ...

The majority of Japanese citizens approve the spirit of Article 9 and consider it personally important. But since the 1980s, there has been a shift away from a stance that would tolerate no alteration of the article to allowing a revision that would resolve the discord between the JSDF and Article 9. Additionally, a smaller group of citizens consider that Japan should allow itself to commit the Self-Defense Forces to 'collective defense' efforts, like those agreed to by the UN Security Council—the Gulf War, for instance. Despite this move, the majority as of 2005 are still against revision. A session of the Security Council in progress The United Nations Security Council is the most powerful organ of the United Nations. ... Combatants U.S.-led coalition Iraq Commanders George H. W. Bush, Norman Schwarzkopf, Colin Powell Saddam Hussein Strength 660,000 ~545,000 Casualties 345 dead, 1,000 wounded 25,000 - 100,000 dead, 100,000 - 300,000 wounded The 1991 Gulf War (also Persian Gulf War) was a conflict between... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

International comparisons

Analogues of Article 9 existed in the German post-war Grundgesetz. Both East Germany and West Germany had similar laws, and the rearmament of these states also happened under pressure of their corresponding allies, the United States and the Soviet Union. The constitution has changed over the years from "no army" to "army for self-defence or defence of NATO allies" to include participation in UN missions. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is the constitution of modern Germany. ... East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR), German Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR), was a socialist country that existed from 1949 to 1990. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... This article is about the United Nations, for other uses of UN see UN (disambiguation) Official languages English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic Secretary-General Kofi Annan (since 1997) Established October 24, 1945 Member states 191 Headquarters New York City, NY, USA Official site http://www. ...

References

• This article contains material from the Library of Congress Country Studies which, as a US government publication, is in the public domain. - Japan