Japanese citizens held a rally in front of the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Thursday morning, demanding the Japanese government face up to history, urging Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to retract her erroneous remarks regarding China's Taiwan region, and voicing opposition to her plans to amend the constitution and expand Japan's military capabilities.
At the rally, protesters argued that such remarks and moves could potentially steer Japan back toward the old path of militarism.
At a Diet meeting in early November, Takaichi claimed that the Chinese mainland's "use of force on Taiwan" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan and implied the possibility of armed Japanese intervention in the Taiwan Strait, which drew strong criticism worldwide.
Supported by revisionist groups seeking a return to imperial "glory," Takaichi has accelerated Japan's military ambitions by advocating significant increases in defense spending and loosening restrictions on arms exports.
In updating Japan's National Security Strategy and two related documents, last revised in 2022, she is also reportedly considering revising the long-standing Three Non-Nuclear Principles, which prohibits nuclear weapons from entering Japan's territory.
"I believe that Japan as a whole is now retracing the old path of militarism, but many people are not aware of this. I am completely opposed to the constitutional amendment that the government is promoting, the relaxation on the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, and the unilateral decisions made by the government cabinet regarding the use of weapons. I think the current prime minister is the worst prime minister," said a protester.
"As politics continues to deteriorate, school education is also distorting the facts and no longer teaching students the true history. This is interlinked with the Japanese government's regression in historical perception. Because of this, Japanese citizens are becoming less and less aware of the truth, and politics is getting worse and worse, forming a vicious circle. Therefore, we must study history seriously, deeply reflect on the war crimes, conduct necessary self-examination, and face the international community earnestly on this basis. Otherwise, we will have no future," said another protester.
Japanese rally against PM, military buildup
