Securitization of Japan under Shinzo Abe, December 2012 - July 2016

Abstract: Japan is facing a reality in which the peaceful safeguards of Article 9 of the constitution has become an obstacle for the Government of Japan to ensure the safety and security of its people. Under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, major security policies have been implemented that have come to redefine the role of Japan within the international community. The aim of this thesis is to outline what policies were implemented by the Government of Japan, how these differed from the previous policies, and how they were received by the Japanese voters, to create an understanding of how Japan came closer to constitutional amendment through the two national elections in 2014 and 2016. The thesis presents the developments leading up to the two elections, as well as security and economic measures taken by the Japanese government. This is then followed with the use of the Copenhagen School´s Securitization theory, to analyze the events, measures taken, and the response from the Japanese voters. The Analysis concludes that the Japanese public have remained divided on the topic of constitutional amendment, but been in favor of the continuation of the Abenomics, the economic policies pursued by the Government of Japan, which has also been a major topic in the two elections.