Political changes in Japan: the era of Shinzō Abe and debate on amending the Constitution – overview at mid-year 2017

On May 3, 2017, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzō Abe announced his willingness to amend the Japan’s Constitution by 2020. This article presents an analysis of main issues related to PM’s statement, including: - scope of considered amendments and their impact on Article 9, - ratification chances and timeline for revision, - reactions of main political party leaders, - influence of emperor’s abdication, - main risks of Abe’s plan failure. The author takes also a closer look at recent drop in PM’s approval ratings and comes to the conclusion that the erosion of public trust could be a turning point not only for constitutional revision but also for Shinzō Abe’s future