Abe confirms intentions to amend Constitution

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe confirmed on Wednesday his intentions to amend a key clause of Japan's Constitution that would further broaden the operational scope of the nation's Self-Defense Forces, following the passage of controversial legislation last year.

In a response to a question by Tomomi Inada, the chairwoman of the LDP Policy Research Council Abe said that revising the Constitution and, specifically, the war-renouncing Article 9 clause that prohibits Japan from maintaining armed forces with war potential, would better fit current realities.

While stating that elements of the particular clause in the constitution are contradictory, Abe said.