Abe says revising constitution his duty

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TOKYO, Aug. 12 -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday that to revise the country's war-renouncing constitution is a historic duty of him, local media reported.

The prime minister made the remarks in a speech at Nagato city in Yamaguchi prefecture. He said he would achieve the goal in order to make Japanese children be proud of their country through educational reform, reported Japan's broadcaster NHK.

Japan revised several versions of history textbooks, whitewashing its war crimes in the World War II. The move has drawn strong opposition from neighboring countries that suffered Japan's aggression during the war.

Japan's current constitution, also known as the pacifist constitution, renounced the country's rights to announce war against other countries.

However, Japanese rightwing politicians called for revising the constitution and upgrading the country's Self-Defense Forces to a full national army, triggering international concerns over the issue.

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