The aftermath of Abe government's decision to change the constitution, so far, has not been very good, both at home and abroad. In less than a week after Abe made the announcement to change the constitution, protests erupted all over Japan. These were not major protests that would cause the government to stop or disrupt any major functioning of the nation. But they were large enough, including the incident in Shinjuku, Tokyo, where a man set himself on fire in protest. Also, within a week of the announcement to change the constitution, Abe's approval rating dropped from 58% down to 48%, a whole 10% reduction in approval! It is still too early to tell if his approval level will keep dropping and if the protests will continue to any extent. However, it is quite apparent that there is a sizable Japanese population that does not like what has happened. There are even constitutional scholars in Japan that insist that the latest move to change the constitution is unconstitutional!
Perhaps the more annoying thing to Abe's government are the constant barbs being directed at Japan by China. Yesterday, on July 7, the PRC held a large ceremony in Beijing to commemorate the 77th Anniversary of the "Marco Polo Bridge Incident" and the start of the Sino-Japanese War in 1937. The ceremony was attended by various dignitaries, headed by the President Xi Jinping. Xi made a speech condemning Japan's refusal to acknowledge its wartime crimes and to offer an apology to its victims. Once again he brought up the subject of Japan's use of "comfort women" and the "The Rape of Nanking." He pointedly accused Japan of trying to revert to militarism in their latest attempt to change the constitution.
China, it seems, has been sticking barbs at Abe's government ever since they got wind of the fact that Japan was planning to change its constitution. It began with an elevated dispute over the small islands off Taiwan that Japan claims as its own. The dispute over these islands (Senkoku Islands) has existed since the end of World War Two, but it has been elevated lately. Then China began to raise the issue of the official apology for "comfort women" and other atrocities such as the "Rape of Nanking."
More recently China rubbed Japan's nose by creating a memorial for the Korean patriot Ahn Jung Un who assassinated the Japanese Governor General of Korea in Harbin, Manchuria. This was quickly followed by the unveiling of a huge memorial in Xian, for Korean Freedom Fighters against Japan. Each time the Japanese government responded by making a protest statement, but really, there wasn't much that they could do. Korea, which has its own grievances against Japan, especially in the "comfort women" issue, has remained quiet more or less. Korean president did say that until Japan offers an official apology and pays restitution to the surviving comfort women, she will not meet with Abe one on one. Korea was also somewhat mum over Japan's plan to change the constitution, unlike China which has been pretty loud and demonstrative in its protest.
In some ways, Japan is caught in the proverbial "between a rock and a hard place." It is unrealistic to think that Japan can continue to only develop its economic power and rely on the U.S. to provide the so-called "nuclear umbrella." Japan spends less of its GNP on defense than any other developed nation! That is one reason why Japan has prospered so since the end of World War Two. But it must find a way to become more self reliant in defense, it cannot depend on another power to defend it indefinitely!
No doubt Abe and his cabinet think that changing the constitution will allow them to build a defense that can be more self reliant. Yet, if Japan's own history is any indication, then "red flags" should be raised if the constitutional change does take place. Truly a tough and difficult decision for the Japanese. They can't just stick their heads in the sand and say, "that's all right, no one will attack us, and if anyone does, U.S. will protect us." The world is very different from the way it was even 20 years ago. Keep in mind that Japan is literally surrounded by military giants in the form of Russia in the north and China to the west. Aside from Russia and China, there is always that unpredictable, schizoid, North Korea immediately to the northwest, within easy striking distance of its missiles! Japan does need to become more self reliant in defense. But at what cost? Will militarism take over, as many fear? I guess no one will really know until everything plays out itself.
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