Closer alliesShinzo Abe inches closer to reinterpreting the pacifist constitution and strengthening Japan’s alliance with America FOR the prime minister, Shinzo Abe, it was a milestone. On May 15th a panel published its long-awaited report recommending that the country’s “self-defence forces” (SDF) be allowed to act more like a normal army. At present, in Article Nine of its constitution, Japan re
![Closer allies](https://cdn-ak-scissors.b.st-hatena.com/image/square/93fee27c09752e20c148ca92bb4c6e6aacffa489/height=288;version=1;width=512/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.economist.com%2Fimg%2Fb%2F595%2F335%2F90%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fimages%2Fprint-edition%2F20140517_ASP001_0.jpg)