ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the existing interpretations of Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan, as well as both the continual political and legal debates surrounding it. It explores the context in which Article 9 came to be included in the constitution. The chapter investigates the international context in which Article 9 came to be in the Constitution. These explorations demonstrate that Japanese pacifism is linked not only to the exact conditions of Article 9 or the constitution but also to how Article 9 emerged in the post-World War internal and international context. The government interpretation of Article 9 has gradually shifted to entail new elements or refer to distinctive points in each context. The relationship with the US has also been the underlying force for the government to change its interpretation. The question of having the self-defense forces or US troops under the Japan–US security treaty while observing Article 9 and the Constitution as written must be discussed politically.
