Japan's Peace Constitution

The Japanese Constitution states in Article 9 that “the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation,” a stipulation dating back to 1947 when post-WWII Japan rewrote its constitution under allied occupation. Since then, the Japanese government has periodically tried to alter Article 9 in order to strengthen its military, often under the influence of the United States (for example, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi recently deployed forces to Iraq as part of the U.S.-led coalition forces). John Junkerman's Japan's Peace Constitution explores the complex history and issues of Article 9, but suffers from distracting flaws—the primary one being the absence of a clear, compelling story as the narrative meanders through the history of the Japanese Constitution, the impact of Japanese imperialism and militarization, the effects of current U.S. foreign policy, and the folly of Japanese and American leaders. While notable intellectuals and others who lived through the crafting of the constitution provide some interesting commentary, the documentary is strikingly one-sided (Junkerman believes that negating Article 9 will lead to a Pan-Asian arms build-up and likely war) for such a contentious topic. In addition, rather than putting hard questions to government officials, the filmmaker often reduces them to caricatures, such as creating a montage that likens Koizumi to a cocker spaniel. Those with large holdings on Japanese history may want to consider, but for others this is not a necessary purchase. Aud: C, P. (J. Wadland)