This new constitution looks disturbing, yes.

I am an American, and know less than I should about politics in Japan, so I'm not trying to be a wiseass when I ask: is this for real?

When I say that, I mean that in the US, from time to time the far-right ideologues in the Republican party go through the motions of preparing a Constitutional amendment as a response to some controversial issue of the day. The amendment is always quietly forgotten, or dies in committee. They aren't for real. They aren't serious, it's just play-acting for the benefit of certain groups of voters.

So, is this new Japanese constitution real? Or are the politicians just play-acting to get attention in a slow news week, and make the voters think they care?