[Photo] Meeting with Mr. Salman Khurshid, Minister of External Affairs of India (2014/1/6)

On July 1, 2014, Abe Cabinet has made a decision on the right of collective self-defense to ensure Japan's survival and protect its people. To date, under article 9 of Japan's Constitution, Japan has the right of self-defense, but is not allowed to exercise the right of collective self-defense. Has Japan reinterpreted article 9 of the Constitution? The answer is No.

Article 9 of the Constitution prohibits Japan from exercising so-called "the right of collective self-defense" for defending the other country. However, this Cabinet Decision on the right of collective self-defense is to ensure Japan's survival and protect its people.

The security environment surrounding Japan has been fundamentally transformed by shifts in the global power balance, the rapid progress of technological innovation, and threats such as weapons of mass destruction, etc. Even an armed attack occurring against a foreign country could actually threaten Japan's survival.

When an armed attack against U.S. occurs and as a result threatens Japan's survival and poses a clear danger to fundamentally overturn people's right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, and when there is no other appropriate means available to repel the attack and ensure Japan's survival and protect its people, use of force to the minimum extent necessary should be interpreted to be permitted under the Constitution as measures for self-defense. This is the conclusion of the Cabinet Decision within the limit of the basic logic of the interpretation of Article 9 of the Constitution, which is permitted under the Constitution for defending Japan.

This Cabinet Decision is based on the agreement that has been bitterly discussed between the LDP and NEW KOMEITO from on May 15 to July 1. In the NEW KOMEITO the possibility of leaving the coalition government was debated, however, they reached the conclusion that if other opposition parties, such as "Jisedai no To"(The Party For Future Generations) and "Minna no To"(Your Party) that admit full-scale use of the right of collective self-defense enter Abe administration, Japan will be really dragged into wars in the near future, which is the most unhappy thing.