Japan’s Crown Prince Naruhito defends anti-war constitution

Crown Prince Naruhito, first in line to Japan's Chrysanthemum Throne, has used a press conference to send a thinly disguised message to the government about the importance of the nation's pacifist constitution.

Speaking on Sunday at an event to mark his 54th birthday, the prince told reporters that the constitution introduced after Japan's defeat in the second world war had played a critically important role in ensuring generations of peace for the Japanese people.

"Today's Japan was built with the Japanese constitution as the cornerstone, and our country is now enjoying peace and prosperity," he said.

The prince, who will assume the title of emperor on the death of his father, added that he would continue "respecting the constitution" and act in compliance with its articles.

His comments echo those made by Emperor Akihito when he spoke to the press to mark his 80th birthday in December.

"After the war, Japan was occupied by the Allied forces, and based on peace and democracy as values to be upheld, established the constitution of Japan, undertook various reforms and built the foundation of Japan that we know today," the emperor said. It was an unprecedented comment on a legal system that many nationalists insist was forced upon Japan by the victorious and vengeful Allies.

The comments by the emperor and his heir will not have gone unremarked in the Japanese government, according to analysts, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attempts to push through amendments or reinterpretations of the constitution.