Japanese protesters rally against arms exports in Tokyo

Japanese citizens held rallies on Thursday outside the headquarters of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the National Diet building in Tokyo, protesting Japan's weapons export policies.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, agreed at a meeting on Monday to revise the implementation guidelines of the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology and lift restrictions that limit defense equipment transfers to five noncombat purposes. And they planned to submit the proposal to the cabinet in February next year.

Demonstrators chanted slogans, calling for a complete ban on arms exports, denouncing the ruling parties, and demanding Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and the cabinet to step down.

"I believe that Japan must never become a 'weapons merchant.' At present, there are already some companies in Japan engaged in weapons-related industries. Not only does the government fail to stop this, it is actually promoting it, attempting to revive the economy in this way. I find this extremely dangerous, and it makes me deeply dissatisfied. I want to make my opposition clear," a protester said.

Another voiced concern over Takaichi's erroneous and provocative remarks on China's Taiwan region.

"Japan has never recognized Taiwan as a country. Under the premise of respecting the Treaty of Peace and Friendship between China and Japan, the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement, and the Potsdam Proclamation, Japan should abide by these documents. But now the Japanese government is ignoring them. Is this a deliberate move, or that Prime Minister Takaichi simply does not understand the contents? This is deeply unsettling. It is totally disrupting the current situation and undermining Japan's position in international relations," said a demonstrator.

A third rally participant said a dangerous shift has been taking place in Japan.

"Recently, some people have started talking about 'possessing nuclear weapons.' In fact, over the past 20 to 30 years, the threshold for such discussions has been gradually lowered. The moral restraints that once hold back these debates, the [right] path Japan should follow, and its commitment to pacifism have been continuously weakened and dismantled. While the situation has worsened sharply due to Prime Minister Takaichi's remarks, this is actually the result of a trend lasting for decades. Both the lawmakers and the public lack sufficient awareness of and reflection on this ongoing trend. I am very concerned about this," another protester said.

Japanese protesters rally against arms exports in Tokyo

Representatives of 12 Japanese civil groups held a rally in Tokyo on Thursday, urging the government to ban all arms exports.

The demonstrators gathered in front of the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters and the National Diet building, where they submitted a formal petition. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, agreed at a meeting on Monday to revise the implementation guidelines of the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology and lift restrictions that limit defense equipment transfers to five noncombat purposes. And they planned to submit the proposal to the cabinet in February next year.

The ruling coalition's plan to significantly relax restrictions on weapons exports has been met with strong opposition from domestic civil groups, as they warn that the move would put Japan on a dangerous path.

The demonstrators urged the government to strictly uphold Article 9 of Japan's pacifist constitution, which renounces the nation's right to engage in war or to resort to military force to resolve international conflicts.

"The Constitution clearly renounces war as a sovereign right and stipulates that Japan shall not possess land, sea, and air forces. However, despite the Constitution's existence as the cardinal law, they constantly adopt laws that hollow out and weaken the Constitution's spirit. And Japanese companies keep manufacturing and exporting weapons to make profits, which worries me tremendously. I keenly feel that Japan is already at a dangerous edge," said Yoko Sugiura, editor-in-chief of magazine Consumers Union of Japan.

"During the Diet debates, it was the Liberal Democratic Party that formulated the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, a system specifically embodying the ideals of Article 9 of the Constitution. The Japan Innovation Party's claim that Article 9 has nothing to do with arms exports ban and embargo is erroneous both factually and conceptually. And the issue is a very serious," said Koji Sugihara, a representative of the Network Against Japan Arms Trade, a local citizens' group.

"In the spirit of Article 9 of the Constitution, arms exports must be stopped, and the policy of prohibiting weapons must be restored. Given this clear shift to militarization, we fear that if it this goes on, there is no way to guarantee the safety of our lives. So we will continue to appeal to society to collectively ponder on how to stop this trend," said Misaki Nishimura, a representative of the Japan Peace Committee.

Japanese civil groups urge gov't to ban arms exports