“This is a necessary bill to prevent wars”, Abe told reporters immediately after the vote.
Advertisement
The government says a constitutional prohibition on using force overseas is outdated and Japan needs to be able to support its allies in foreign trouble spots.
The secretaries general of Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party and its partner Komeito had earlier confirmed a plan to pass the bills at the plenary session so they could be sent to the House of Councilors.
To rewrite the article they need a two-thirds majority in both houses, followed by a referendum – a hurdle that has defeated every previous government. Meanwhile, a large crowd showed up at a protest against the legislation near the Diet on Wednesday night. However, Thursday’s approval virtually guarantees enactment of the legislation into law because the more powerful lower house’s decision overrides the upper chamber’s vote. Abe’s coalition holds a commanding majority in the lower house, which he gained in 2014 elections out of support for his economic policies and a lack of coherent opposition among the nation’s myriad political parties. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a robust nationalist, has pushed for what he calls a normalization of Japan’s military posture and wants to loosen restrictions that have bound the country’s military, the Japan Self-Defense Forces, to a narrowly defensive role for decades.
The constitution – imposed on the country after World War II – does not allow Japan to maintain a military, and only allows it to defend itself if facing direct attack.
The protests were reminiscent of those that toppled Abe’s grandfather from the premiership 55 years ago after he rammed a revised US-Japan security pact through parliament.
Thousands of protesters had gathered overnight near the parliament, holding up placards reading “Abe, quit”, “No War, No Killing” and “Scrap the War Bills”.
They said the legislation was needed to take account of the shifting security environment in Asia, where North Korea remains as volatile and unpredictable as ever, and China is increasingly perceived to be throwing its weight around.
The United States have recently signaled, it would welcome the change in its ally’s security stance.
The meeting between Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Shotaro Yachi, a career diplomat and a close aide to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, comes at a delicate time for relations between the neighboring Asian powers.
Opponents say it violates Japan’s post-war Constitution, written by the American occupiers.
Advertisement
He acknowledged Thursday that the legislation was unpopular and said his party will make an all-out effort to explain it “to help deepen understanding of the people”. Japanese leaders labeled the package as “war legislation” and the package’s supporters failed to present strategic arguments showing the necessity of the package.
