Japan's ruling party is pushing ahead with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's proposal to amend the country's pacifist Constitution.
Abe has long wanted to change Article 9 to add an explicit reference to Japan's Self Defense Forces.
The Liberal Democratic Party has agreed to create a new "Article 9-2" section that states the S-D-F shall be maintained "as an armed organization" for Japan to take "necessary self-defense measures."
A two-thirds majority in both chambers of the parliament, followed by majority support in a national referendum is needed to amend the Constitution.