Japan Lawyers Association for Freedom (JLAF)

The Japan Lawyers Association for Freedom (自由法曹団, JLAF) was established in 1921 with the purpose of "ensuring fundamental human rights, strengthening democracy, and contributing to the creation of a peaceful, independent, and democratic Japan (JLAF website). The members include 2,000 attorneys, and there are 41 branches throughout the country.  It actively engages in constitutional issues from various perspectives, including national security, human rights, education, local autonomy, and historical issues.

The association has set up a Task Force for Preventing Constitutional Revision and has led protest campaigns opposing constitutional amendments proposed by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Alongside five other legal organizations—the Social and Cultural Legal Center (社会文化法律センター), the Young Lawyers Association Joint Committee of Lawyers and Scholars (青年法律家協会弁護士学者合同部会), the Japan International Lawyers Association (日本国際法律家協会), the Japan Anti-Nuclear Lawyers Association (日本反核法律家協会), and the Japan Democratic Lawyer's Association (日本民主法律家協会)—it formed the Liaison Council of Six Lawyers’ Organizations on Constitutional Amendment Issues. Together, they have worked to challenge the constitutionality of policies pursued by LDP administrations.

In 2015, the Liaison Council of Six Lawyers’ Organizations issued a statement calling for the repeal of the security-related legislation. In 2019, it also published a booklet critically examining the four constitutional amendment proposals released by the LDP in 2018: (1) security, (2) national emergency, (3) vote disparity, and (4) enhancement of education. The booklet concluded that the LDP’s main focus is “security”: changing Article 9 and creating a new clause for national emergency with the aim to shift Japan from pacifism determined in Article 9 to militarism more strongly tied to the US-Japan Security Treaty. The booklet also pointed out the LDP uses other topics to involve the opposition parties in discussion to eventually lead to constitutional revision.

This association's website contains many official statements and resolutions against constitutional revision and related issues.