TOKYO (Reuters) - A conservative ally of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has called for discussion on revising Japan’s constitution to allow same-sex marriage, annoying colleagues in the ruling party who are against it and also opposition parliamentarians who say enacting a simple law would clear the way.

The constitution, never amended since it was adopted after Japan’s defeat in World War Two, says: “Marriage shall be based only on the mutual consent of both sexes and it shall be maintained through mutual cooperation with the equal rights of husband and wife as a basis”.

Amending the constitution’s pacifist Article 9 to clarify the status of Japan’s military is a long-held goal of Abe and his ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Revising the article is highly controversial, although it has already been stretched to allow armed forces for self-defence.

Former Education Minister Hakubun Shimomura last month floated the idea of adding same-sex marriage to a list of other potential constitutional changes: “It is important to proceed with debate without any taboo, including of the idea that a man can marry a man and a woman can marry a woman,” NHK public TV quoted him as saying at a meeting of local LDP members last month.

The LDP has said same-sex marriage was “incompatible” with the constitution and Shimomura’s remark caused concern at a meeting of the party’s general affairs committee this week, media reported. Read more via Reuters