Proposed Japanese constitutional referendum

Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution Referendum is a referendum that was expected to take place in 2020. In May 2017, then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe set a 2020 deadline for revising Article 9, which would legitimize the Japan Self-Defense Forces in the Japanese constitution.^[1][2][3][4] Abe and his Cabinet resigned in September 2020, due to Abe's health problems.^[5] Under his successor Yoshihide Suga, parliament revised referendum law in June 2021 to make it easier to vote by allowing temporary voting station. The move was considered as a step toward the possibility of the constitutional referendum taking place.^[6] Kishida renewed calls for the referendum in May 2023.^[7]

Public opinion

Date	Firm	Yes	No	Undecided	Lead	Sample size	Notes
1 March – 11 April 2022	Kyodo News poll[8]	50%	48%		2%
13 May 2021	The Asahi Shimbun poll[9]	45%	44%		1%
18 April 2021	Mainichi Shimbun poll[10]	48%	31%		17%
2019	[11]	40%	54%		14%
2017	Kyodo News poll[12]	49%	47%		2%
2017	Asahi poll[13]	29%	63%		34%
2017	NHK poll[12]	25%	57%		32%

See also

• 2015 Japanese military legislation
• SEALDs