Japan Press Weekly

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2017 November 22 - 28 [POLITICS]

'Nippon Kaigi'-related lawmakers group begins to rush for constitutional revision initiative in next ordinary Diet session

The parliamentarians' council of the anti-constitution, rightist organization "Nippon Kaigi" held a convention at a Tokyo hotel on November 27 and decided to increase the momentum toward establishing constitutional amendments by organizing a grassroots revisionist group in each of the 289 single-seat constituencies. They yelled, "We won't lose to the Article 9 Association!"

Prime Minister Abe Shinzo sent to the meeting a video message in which he expressed his determination to play a leading role in working for a change in the Constitution. He said, "The Liberal Democratic Party will fulfill its historical mission."

Among the 2,000 right-leaning participants, 30 Dietmembers from the LDP, the Party of Hope (Kibo no To), and the Nippon Ishin no Kai attended this gathering.

LDP member of the House of Representatives Furuya Keiji assumed the post of Nippon Kaigi lawmakers' league chairman. In appealing to the participants, he said, "Let us move forward steadily toward constitutional amendments!"

Former Education Minister Shimomura Hakubun, an LDP member of the Lower House, said, "The LDP is planning to propose a revision in the next year's ordinary session of the Diet and will do its best so that the Commissions on the Constitution in both Houses can discuss our proposal," followed by Matsuzawa Shigefumi (Upper House) of the Party of Hope who said, "Our party will also make its maximum effort to promote constitutional reform."

Baba Nobuyuki of the Nippon Ishin no Kai, a Lower House member, responded by saying, "As a leader, our party will place itself at the vanguard of discussions on constitutional revision."

Past related articles:
> Longing for Article 9 revision, advisor to PM Abe thanks Hope Party for breaking up DP [October 26, 2017]
> Tokyo Governor’s new party is rightwing constitutional revisionist [September 26, 2017]
> More than half of reshuffled Abe Cabinet members belong to pro-Yasukuni parliamentarians’ group [August 4, 2017]
> Japan’s ultrarightist group supports SDF legitimation in Article 9 [May 28, 2017]