A look into Japan, a nation torn between peace and preparation

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s desire to remove pacifist constraints on the Self-Defense Forces from Japan’s post-WWII constitution has found more support among the Japanese people now that North Korea has nuclear weapons. Nevertheless, Abe’s objective can be a hard sell for many Japanese citizens, who view peace as central to the nation’s identity.

Yahoo News journalist Michael Walsh traveled to Tokyo, Hiroshima and Nagasaki from Nov. 5 to Nov. 11 on a fellowship from Foreign Press Center Japan to discuss the nation’s current security challenges, commitment to pacifism and collective memory of the atomic bombings. Every person interviewed shared a commitment to keeping Japan safe while promoting peace and nuclear disarmament. But there was disagreement over the right path to this goal. (Michael Walsh/Yahoo News)

Photography by Michael Walsh/Yahoo News

Read: Japan’s atomic dilemma: Pacifism and the threat of North Korea ?

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