Franziska Seraphim - Japanese Constitutional Revisionism and Civic Activism

Since the adoption of the 1947 Constitution of Japan, the document has become a contested symbol of contrasting visions of Japan. Japanese Constitutional Revisionism and Civic Activism is a volume which examines the history of Japan's constitutional debates, key legal decisions and interpretations, the history and variety of activism, and activists' ties to party politics and to fellow activists overseas.

Edited by Helen Hardacre; Timothy S. George; Keigo Komamura and Franziska Seraphim

Contributions by Weitseng Chen; Erik Esselstrom; Timothy S. George; Helen Hardacre; Saburo Horikawa; Sung Ho Kim; Keigo Komamura; Rintaro Kuramochi; Levi McLaughlin; Mari Miura; Koichi Nakano; Franziska Seraphim; Yoshihide Soeya; Makiko Ueda; Christian Winkler and Tatsuhiko Yamamoto

Japanese Constitutional Revisionism and Civic Activism

About the Authors:

Helen Hardacre is Reischauer Institute professor of Japanese religions and society at Harvard University.
Timothy S. George is professor of history at the University of Rhode Island.
Keigo Komamura is vice president and professor of law at Keio University.
Franziska Seraphim is associate professor at Boston College.

Reviews

This rich collection of essays puts flesh on the tired bones of Japanese debates about whether to protect or revise the 1947 Constitution. Highlighting civic activism across the postwar period, the authors show the contention to be much more complicated-and politically and socially dynamic- than an either/or proposition. Comparisons with Taiwan and South Korea and attention not only to Article 9 but to human rights and environmental questions give the book an expansive character. This intelligent and informative study is a pleasure to read.
-Carol Gluck, Columbia University

This volume offers a truly comprehensive analysis of civic activism surrounding constitutional revision in Japan, drawing on the diverse expertise of an international team of scholars of law, history, politics, religion, and society. While past research has focused on the goals of established elites, the authors delve into the motivations and strategies of underexamined grassroots actors, including academics, youths, religious organizations, and ideological movements. Importantly, the studied topics extend beyond the lightning rod of Article 9 to encompass debates over human rights, gender equality, and  environmentalism, painting a fuller picture of constitutional debates in Japan. By giving equal weight to historical context and contemporary movements, this volume is relevant to any scholar or observer of postwar Japan.
-Kenneth Mori McElwain, University of Tokyo

Because of its globally recognized 'no war' clause, debate over Japan's  constitution is often seen only through the lens of its implications for its foreign policy. But the dynamics within Japan surrounding this  unique document are far more important. In a timely and revelatory new  volume focused on the civic activism surrounding Japan's postwar  governing document, the benefactors of this document-Japan's  citizens- are given the starring role. This exciting new volume reflects the best of scholarship in both Japan and the United States on this ongoing tension between citizens and state that is at the heart of postwar Japanese democratic practice.
-Sheila A. Smith, Council on Foreign Relations