Japan's Constitution in jeopardy

The victory of the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Japan's upper house election on Sunday may pose a threat to regional stability, as it could give Abe enough power to put Japan's postwar pacifist Constitution in jeopardy.

The victory is considered more a result of the lack of better choices and the electorate choosing to maintain the status quo, rather than their endorsing Abe's constitutional designs.

But over the past three years, Abe has exploited every opportunity to firmly push forward his political agenda and gradually overturn 70 years of pacifism in Japan despite public protests. Abe has managed to enact controversial security laws, which enable Japan's Self-Defense Forces to fight overseas for the first time since the end of World War II and made it possible for Japan to intervene militarily in regional conflicts.