politics

Yamaguchi reelected New Komeito leader

10 Comments

Natsuo Yamaguchi, head of the New Komeito Party, has been reelected for another two years after being unopposed for the party's leadership.

The New Komeito is the ruling Liberal-Democratic Party's junior coalition party.

Yamaguchi's party has been generally aligned with the LDP on most issues with a notable exception being Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's desire to ease constitutional curbs on Japan's right to exercise collective self-defense.

Debate on the issue is expected to dominate the extraordinary Diet session that opens on Sept 29.

The New Komeito is wary of a dropping a ban on sending Japan's military to aid a friendly nation under attack, but Yamaguchi has said party officials will consider a proposal that would allow the change while theoretically limiting cases in which it could be implemented.

Pressure has been mounting on New Komeito from Abe, whose drive to loosen the constraints of the U.S.-drafted, postwar constitution is central to his conservative agenda. Conservatives say the charter's war-renouncing Article 9 has hindered Japan's ability to defend itself as a sovereign nation.

Advocates of a new interpretation also argue the change is vital to cope with security threats including from an increasingly assertive China and a volatile North Korea.

New Komeito leaders had ruled out leaving the coalition over the proposed change, which critics say would gut Article 9.

Successive governments have said Japan has the right to so-called collective self-defense under international law, but that exercising that right exceeds the bounds of the constitution.

Earlier in the summer, the New Komeito made a proposal would allow the exercise of force in cases where an attack on another country threatens Japan's existence and fundamentally undermines the people's right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - a de facto recognition of the right to exercise collective self-defense.

It would also limit the use of force to the "minimum necessary" for defense and to cases where there was no appropriate alternative.

Some in the LDP worry the proposal would be too restrictive, but New Komeito, backed by a Buddhist lay group that has opposed the change in policy, wants to narrow the scope.

© Japan Today/Reuters

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

10 Comments
Login to comment

This is unnecessarily vague. New Komeito is the political arm of Soka Gakkai, a Buddhist cult. "Unopposed," huh. That doesn't surprise me. But it's too bad that a religious cult has been so politically influential for so long.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Incredible that you try and slander the Soka Gakkai as a "religious cult" whatever that is supposed to mean. Christianity is a cult, so are most religions. Nevertheless, the members of Soka Gakkai are the most sincere, and selfless group of people I have ever met. If by "cult" you are trying to imply that Gakkai members are mindless zombies, swallowed up by a mysterious secretive group, you could not be further from the truth.

The Soka Gakkai is a worldwide organization with members in almost as many countries as there are in the UN. It is truly a global phenomenon. Soka Gakkai is Japan's greatest asset. It is the key to Japan's future and Japan's greatest gift to the world. I am an American and I am proud to be a member of Soka Gakkai.

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

Incredible that you try and slander the Soka Gakkai as a "religious cult" whatever that is supposed to mean. Christianity is a cult, so are most religions. Nevertheless, the members of Soka Gakkai are the most sincere, and selfless group of people I have ever met. If by "cult" you are trying to imply that Gakkai members are mindless zombies, swallowed up by a mysterious secretive group, you could not be further from the truth.

The Soka Gakkai is a worldwide organization with members in almost as many countries as there are in the UN. It is truly a global phenomenon. Soka Gakkai is Japan's greatest asset. It is the key to Japan's future and Japan's greatest gift to the world. I am an American and I am proud to be a member of Soka Gakkai.

I'd counter this, but I don't like having to look over my shoulder...

2 ( +7 / -5 )

The Soka Gakkai is a worldwide organization with members in almost as many countries as there are in the UN. It is truly a global phenomenon. Soka Gakkai is Japan's greatest asset. It is the key to Japan's future and Japan's greatest gift to the world.

Cult of hyperbole?

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Soma Gakkai... My (Japanese) wife always said it's a somewhat ayashii religious sect and Komeito are just as suspicious. I don't know much about them but I know that their members try to persuade others to join their organization, which is bad enough. Regardless, I always found Yamaguchi looks a bit like a mid-aged John Hurt.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

"We must consider all religions our enemies, and we must destroy them." - Josei Toda ("while mounted on a white horse"!)

Cue the Seinfeld popcorn bass!

Just a funny tidbit from wikipedia. Can SG members laugh at the ridiculousness of the above incident? If so, I'll give them a second look!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

They're hypocrites: Spreading a message of world peace and anti-nukes while all the while supporting and facilitating the LDP's pro-nuke militarism. Their political power comes from having a block that votes as their told.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

all the while supporting and facilitating the LDP's pro-nuke militarism.

Nuclear weapons? I don't think so. Not yet, anyway. It could be that the Komeito is all that stands between Abe and his right wing cabinet from following that particular course while at the same totally revoking Article 9.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@zootmoney

Japan and the LDP have continually, and for years, opposed even modest reductions to the "nuclear umbrella," let alone the abolishment of nuclear weapons in general. They've done this with Komeito's support. Furthermore, the LDP allowed American nukes into Japan and lied about it for decades. This is from Asahi vis a vis A9: "New Komeito has discarded the option of dissolving its alliance with the LDP in order to protect its political integrity." Whether you agree with the policy or not, this is pretty hypocritical and lacking in integrity. I would have more respect for them if they stayed out of government and acted as a conscience rather than a power player. There are much better Buddhist organizations out there.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Shallow, it is "they're" not "their." Actually, the issue of the partnership with LDP is that Komei is the only thing standing between the LDP and full blown fascism in Japan. They can stay with the LDP and act as a brake on their efforts to turn back Japan to the 1930's. That is showing integrity. It would be the simplest thing in the world to break with the LDP.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites