Article 9 Of Japan's Constitution

Japan was forced to adopt a Constitution written by the Allied powers led by General Douglas MacArthur, after Japan’s defeat in World War II. Certain parts of the Meiji Constitution of 1893, combined with Western philosophies, were used to create Japan’s Constitution. Article 9 of Japan’s Constitution specifically states Japan’s renunciation of war. According to Japan’s Constitution, “… the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.” In addition, “…land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained.” Despite the guidelines written in Japan’s Constitution, Article 9 has differed in interpretation since its enactment.
Article 9's creation and continued existence allowed
United States and Japanese reformers harmonic relationship had turned into antagonism. The United States were more interested in improving Japan’s economic strength rather than achieving retribution and achieving reforms. In Japan’s point of view, there were many geopolitical events that were happening that had many questioning Article 9’s practicality. The potential threats of the Soviet Union, communist revolution in China, and unstableness in the Middle East were cause for concern. The most pressing issue at the time was the Korean War. During the Korean War, the United States relocated most of its forces to Korea. This left Japan defenseless, causing distrust in regards to their military alliance. Japanese people began to question United States’ commitment to the security of Japan. This led to the creation of the National Police Reserve in 1952. Japan’s loophole around Article 9 was that the Self Defense Force is part of Japan’s police force. Therefore, Japan did not officially have a military force defending or maintaining “land, sea, and air