August 4, 2016
Prime Minister Abe Shinzo on August 3 reshuffled his Cabinet and appointed Inada Tomomi as Defense Minister, who is the former chairperson of the Policy Research Council of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. She is well-known as a leading advocate of constitutional revision and an extremely hawkish LDP lawmaker.
If such an ultra-rightist invokes the unconstitutional national security legislation using her power as Defense Minister, it will cause serious concern at home and abroad.
At a Lower House Budget Committee meeting in February this year, Inada said, “With regard to the issue of constitutional amendment, lawmakers should immediately begin discussions on essential matters such as the second paragraph of Article 9 of the Constitution (which declares the renunciation of military power).” In response, PM Abe showed his resolve to revise the pacifist Constitution, referring to the LDP’s draft constitution which changes the war-renouncing Article 9 as one authorizing the nation to have “national defense forces”.
Inada went on to note that about 70% of constitutional scholars in the country claim that the existence of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF) is inconsistent with Article 9 of the Constitution. “If Article 9 is left as it is, Japan’s constitutionalism will be hollowed out,” she stressed.
Since the time she was working as a lawyer, Inada has called for a departure from the historical view centered on the Tokyo Tribunal following World War II. On August 15, 2004, Inada delivered a speech at an assembly which was held at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo by the Japan Conference (Nippon Kaigi), a right-wing organization working to glorify Japan’s war of aggression. In the speech, she called on the prime minister and parliamentarians to visit the Yasukuni Shrine which honors the war dead and even war criminals, citing a slogan of the Japanese militarism, “Shinshu Fumetsu” (the immortal divine land of Japan).
At that time, Abe served as deputy secretary-general of the LDP. After listening to Inada’s address, Abe was impressed by her and the LDP then fielded her in the general election in September 2005. This was Inada’s debut in the political world.
In an interview published in the March 2011 issue of the rightist magazine “Seiron”, Inada said, “From a long-term perspective, Japan needs to consider possession of nuclear weapons as part of its national strategy.” She added, “In order to raise public awareness of national security, I think it necessary to create a program to have all young people have a trial experience in the SDF.”
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Defense Minister Inada refuses to recognize Japan’s war as ‘aggression’
At a news conference on August 4, reporters asked Inada if she recognizes Japan’s Fifteen Years War (1931-45) to be a war of aggression. She replied, “It’s difficult to judge whether it was aggression or not. As for the issue of historical recognition, ask the Prime Minister and the Chief Cabinet Secretary.”
Past related articles:
> PM Abe attacks Article 9 day after day [February 5, 2016]
> Japan’s wartime ‘comfort women’ were not sex slaves: LDP policy leader [February 26, 2015]
If such an ultra-rightist invokes the unconstitutional national security legislation using her power as Defense Minister, it will cause serious concern at home and abroad.
At a Lower House Budget Committee meeting in February this year, Inada said, “With regard to the issue of constitutional amendment, lawmakers should immediately begin discussions on essential matters such as the second paragraph of Article 9 of the Constitution (which declares the renunciation of military power).” In response, PM Abe showed his resolve to revise the pacifist Constitution, referring to the LDP’s draft constitution which changes the war-renouncing Article 9 as one authorizing the nation to have “national defense forces”.
Inada went on to note that about 70% of constitutional scholars in the country claim that the existence of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF) is inconsistent with Article 9 of the Constitution. “If Article 9 is left as it is, Japan’s constitutionalism will be hollowed out,” she stressed.
Since the time she was working as a lawyer, Inada has called for a departure from the historical view centered on the Tokyo Tribunal following World War II. On August 15, 2004, Inada delivered a speech at an assembly which was held at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo by the Japan Conference (Nippon Kaigi), a right-wing organization working to glorify Japan’s war of aggression. In the speech, she called on the prime minister and parliamentarians to visit the Yasukuni Shrine which honors the war dead and even war criminals, citing a slogan of the Japanese militarism, “Shinshu Fumetsu” (the immortal divine land of Japan).
At that time, Abe served as deputy secretary-general of the LDP. After listening to Inada’s address, Abe was impressed by her and the LDP then fielded her in the general election in September 2005. This was Inada’s debut in the political world.
In an interview published in the March 2011 issue of the rightist magazine “Seiron”, Inada said, “From a long-term perspective, Japan needs to consider possession of nuclear weapons as part of its national strategy.” She added, “In order to raise public awareness of national security, I think it necessary to create a program to have all young people have a trial experience in the SDF.”
* * *
Defense Minister Inada refuses to recognize Japan’s war as ‘aggression’
At a news conference on August 4, reporters asked Inada if she recognizes Japan’s Fifteen Years War (1931-45) to be a war of aggression. She replied, “It’s difficult to judge whether it was aggression or not. As for the issue of historical recognition, ask the Prime Minister and the Chief Cabinet Secretary.”
Past related articles:
> PM Abe attacks Article 9 day after day [February 5, 2016]
> Japan’s wartime ‘comfort women’ were not sex slaves: LDP policy leader [February 26, 2015]
