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Shinzo Abe Announces Plan to Revise Japan?s Pacifist Constitution
New York Times

48% in favor of constitutional amendment: Mainichi survey
The Mainichi

Japan Yakuza: 'Split' in powerful Kobe Yamaguchi-gumi gang
BBC

Japan's luxurious Shiki-shima sleeper train ? in pictures
Guardian

Reassessing Juvenile Justice in Japan: Net widening or diversion"
Japan Focus

Last Week's Japan News on the JapanVisitor blog

Statistics

"In a Kyodo News poll taken late last month, nearly half of the respondents who said an amendment is necessary cited ?Article 9 and the Self-Defense Forces? in a multiple-choice format on what should be the priority issue in revising the Constitution. Roughly half of the pollees who denied the need for an amendment said they support the Constitution as it is because its war-renouncing text has maintained the peace in postwar Japan.
"The Kyodo survey paints a mixed picture of public opinion over the Constitution, particularly Article 9. A total of 60 percent of the pollees called an amendment of the Constitution ?necessary? or ?rather necessary,? as opposed to 37 percent who replied that an amendment is either ?not necessary? or ?rather not necessary.?

"The pollees are more split on revising Article 9 ? 49 percent in favor and 47 percent not in favor. A majority of those in favor of revising Article 9 cite ?changes in the security environment surrounding Japan,? such as North Korea?s nuclear weapons and missile development...