Why have some Liberal-Democratic Party leaders wanted to revise Japan’s postwar constitution?

Some leaders of the Liberal-Democratic Party of Japan (LDP) have sought to revise Japan’s postwar constitution primarily to allow the Japanese military to play a more significant role in international peacekeeping efforts.1

The current constitution, which went into effect in 1947, includes Article 9, a provision that renounces war as a sovereign right and pledges that the nation will never maintain land, sea, or air forces, or other war potential. While the LDP has historically maintained a broad ideological spectrum, a consensus emerged within the party by the late 20th century in favor of constitutional revision to address these limitations on the military's international contributions.21

Support for such reforms often follows generational lines, with younger politicians generally more supportive of constitutional change, while older members have historically expressed a more cautious attitude.1