Thursday, November 3rd is the 70th anniversary of Japan's promulgation of its pacifist Constitution, which Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hopes to revise. However, a recent poll by Japan's Kyodo News agency shows more than half the Japanese public are opposed to the revisions.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been lobbying to emasculate and revise the country's war-renouncing constitution...

But seven decades after the publication of its Pacifist Constitution, a recent nationwide poll suggests a peaceful existance is preferred.

Analysts say people remain wary of Abe's motives.

"World War II brought a tragic disaster to China. In total 20 million people died in Asia, including 3.1 million Japanese. Since then, people have truly seen the evil side of the war, and made sure there are no future wars. That's why the concept of a constitution has been deeply engraved in people's mind for 70 years. It has become a flag," said Tadashi Hirai, chief of Anti-constitution Amendment Movement.

Abe and his ruling Liberal Democratic Party are now mulling over whether to hold a referendum in 2017, and realize the first-ever amendment of the country's supreme law.

However, a controversial new security law took effect in March. The law allows Japan's Self Defence Forces to engage in overseas combat and gives them more freedom to use weapons. And Japan is also comtemplating sending peacekeepers to South Sudan.

With gradual advances in freeing up the Self Defence Forces, Hirai is afraid the consequences may be grave.

"We think the mere existence of the Self-Defense Forces violates Article 9 of the Constitution. Many people believe the forces can provide assistance during disasters and repel aggression, so they recognize them. But even these people who believe the SDF's role is only limited to defense think Japan should never launch attacks or use forces overseas," Tadashi Hirai said.

Analysts also say amending the pacifist constitution will damage relations with Japan's neighbors and even destabilize the region, as both China and South Korea have expressed their opposition.