Abe Calls Constitutional Revision His "Historic Mission"

Nagato, Yamaguchi Pref., Aug. 12 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday that constitutional revisions are his "historic mission," showing his strong desire to achieve the task while he is in office as the top government leader. "I will try hard to revise the Japanese constitution, and this is my historic mission," Abe said in a dinner party hosted by a support group for him. It is the first time since he took office last December that the prime minister has used such strong words as "historic mission" in expressing his determination to amend the constitution. Even just after his Liberal Democratic Party and its New Komeito ally won a landslide in the July 21 House of Councillors election to end a divided parliament in the nation, Abe showed his stance of taking time on reaching consensus on the matter apparently in light of cautious views within New Komeito and among the public. At the dinner party, held in Nagato, Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Japan, Abe also said a prime minister sometimes must make tough decisions in defiance of strong opposition and criticism, referring to planned consumption tax hikes and Japan's possible participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact. END