Constitution of Japan
ConstitutionWikipedia
10
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7
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4
PODCASTS
Search complete. 10 mentions across 7 episodes found for "Constitution of Japan".
Sep 1, 2026
MeganHOST
At its entrance, they say, stands a sign.
MeganHOST
The Constitution of Japan does not apply here.
MeganHOST
Beyond that point, outsiders are unwelcome.
MeganHOST
Those who ventured in never returned.
speaker_0NARRATOR
We were supposed to have pledged, when Japan was defeated in the war, to renounce relying on military power and build a society where everybody can live with a peace of mind.
speaker_0NARRATOR
That's what we were supposed to pursue under the Constitution of Japan.
speaker_0NARRATOR
All that, however, is apparently falling into oblivion.
speaker_0NARRATOR
I have a strong sense of alarm about that.
Ryan GableHOST
And how do I even explain this without taking up too much time? Let's put it this way.
Ryan GableHOST
The Japanese Constitution, which was written by the Allies... was also written by a woman named Sirota Gordon, or Betty Sirota Gordon.
Ryan GableHOST
She was born in Vienna in 1923 to Russian Jewish parents and later grew up in Tokyo.
Ryan GableHOST
When she became fluent in Japanese and concerned with the perceived gender inequalities in pre-war Japanese society, she started to get involved actively.
Ryan GableHOST
This is some random young Jewish girl.
Ryan GableHOST
She was assigned to the civil rights section of where she personally drafted and fiercely advocated for what are considered groundbreaking provisions on so-called gender equality.
Ryan GableHOST
This is Article 14 of the Japanese Constitution and Article 24 of the Japanese Constitution.
Ryan GableHOST
Now, you can say it brought equality to Japan.
speaker_0NARRATOR
We were supposed to have pledged when Japan was defeated in the war, to renounce relying on military power and build a society where everybody can live with a peace of mind.
speaker_0NARRATOR
That's what we were supposed to pursue under the Constitution of Japan.
speaker_0NARRATOR
All that, however, is apparently falling into oblivion.
speaker_0NARRATOR
I have a strong sense of alarm about that.
speaker_0NARRATOR
We were supposed to have pledged, when Japan was defeated in the war, to renounce relying on military power and build a society where everybody can live with a peace of mind.
speaker_0NARRATOR
That's what we were supposed to pursue under the Constitution of Japan.
speaker_0NARRATOR
All that, however, is apparently falling into oblivion.
speaker_0NARRATOR
I have a strong sense of alarm about that.
speaker_0NARRATOR
We were supposed to have pledged, when Japan was defeated in the war, to renounce relying on military power and build a society where everybody can live with a peace of mind.
speaker_0NARRATOR
That's what we were supposed to pursue under the Constitution of Japan.
speaker_0NARRATOR
All that, however, is apparently falling into oblivion.
speaker_0NARRATOR
I have a strong sense of alarm about that.
Nick BrightHOST
The first takeaway I want to discuss is the issue of religion and politics.
Nick BrightHOST
The Japanese Constitution, authored with the assistance of American men and women educated at Harvard Law and other prestigious institutions after the end of the Asia-Pacific War, explicitly mandates a separation of church and state, unlike the American Constitution or that of many other countries.
Nick BrightHOST
Article 20 of the Japanese Constitution states, quote, Freedom of religion is guaranteed to all.
Nick BrightHOST
No religious organization shall receive any privileges from the state nor exercise any political authority.
Nick BrightHOST
No person shall be compelled to take part in any religious act, celebration, rite, or practice.
Nick BrightHOST
The fact of the matter is that the government cannot be involved with a religious institution of any kind.
Nick BrightHOST
However, unfortunately, the reality is quite different, and this is a bit of a constitutional crisis.
Nick BrightHOST
During his career, Abe Shinzo caught lots of bad press for his involvement with the Unification Church and also for his annual visits to the Yasukuni Shrine because those involvements were clear violations of the very obvious and clear language of the Constitution.