Japan may get "self-defense military"

The Asahi Shimbun reports:

A Liberal Democratic Party commission approved a set of outlines Thursday that include revising pacifist Article 9 of the Constitution to stipulate Japan's right to possess a "self-defense military," lawmakers said.

Article 9 currently states that Japan will never maintain "land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential."

Of course, Article 9 notwithstanding, Japan has long maintained a massively powerful military force in all but name: its jieitai, or Self-Defense Forces.

The proposed constitutional revision, therefore, is largely symbolic. However, it might make it easier for Japan to participate in collective defense with allied nations — for example, to shoot down missiles North Korea fires at America, something Japan had previously said it would not do.