Japanese people protest against US-Israeli war on Iran and gov't push to revise constitution

Nearly 1,000 Japanese people held a rally in front of Shinjuku Station in Tokyo on Sunday to express their opposition to the U.S.-Israeli airstrikes against Iran and protest against the push of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's administration to revise the pacifist constitution.

Holding placards calling for peace and chanting anti-war slogans, the protesters voiced their strong opposition to the ongoing U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict as it entered its 30th day on Sunday.

"I am very angry. That is not right. I believe peace is the most important thing. They are messing up the whole world for the benefit of a few, making everyone feel uneasy every single day," said a protester.

Recently, the Japanese government has accelerated increase in defense spending and given the green light to deploy long-range missiles in Kumamoto, Shizuoka, and other locations, sparking strong public discontent.

"Rather than military expansion, our lives are already very difficult now. I want the prime minister to first consider using money for our current lives and for the future of the children. The actions of the Japanese government are unacceptable. I also want to become an adult who takes responsibility for the next generation," said a protester.

"If the constitution is amended (under the Takaichi administration), it would become a very serious matter. So I think we must stop it no matter what," said a protester.

Regarding the incident on March 24 when an active-duty Self-Defense Forces (SDF) officer forcible intruded into the Chinese embassy in Tokyo, participants at the rally said that the Japanese government must apologize and seriously discipline those involved.

"That Self-Defense Forces member is truly unforgivable. Prime Minister Takaichi and Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi only said it was 'regrettable,' but they did not apologize to China. I want to protest against this. I believe they must first apologize to China. After that, they should resign. Including the erroneous remarks on Taiwan earlier, I feel they must apologize for that as well," said a protester.

Japanese people protest against US-Israeli war on Iran and gov't push to revise constitution

Japanese people protest against US-Israeli war on Iran and gov't push to revise constitution

Science fiction has become a major focus of attention for many attendees at the recently concluded Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) Annual Conference in Beijing.

From literary creation to driving technological development, Chinese science fiction is becoming a compelling force that inspires the future.

At the 2026 China Science Fiction Convention, held from Friday to Sunday as a parallel forum to the ZGC Forum Annual Conference, sci-fi works' role of connecting the public, as well as presenting scenarios and challenges for future sci-tech development were highlighted by many guests.

"Science fictions can concretize many of our laboratory-based theoretical content, disseminating it to the public through the form of fiction, providing an application scenario for our technological inventions. Through individual stories, the public can embrace these great technological inventions," said La Zi, editor-in-chief of the Science Fiction World magazine.

From "The Three-Body Problem" novels sparking a scientific craze, to "The Wandering Earth" opening the door to hardcore science fiction films, a hundred-billion-level science fiction industry is rising in China. At the China Science Fiction Convention, attendees were able to see the latest developments and products from China's science fiction industry at the International Sci-fi and Future Tech Expo Beijing, a sideline event.

"The most precious characteristic of science fiction literature is that it is the most capable of resonating with all of humanity, across different cultures. The future it depicts is the future we all face together; the challenges it describes are also the challenges we must face together. This is also the spiritual essence of science fiction literature," said Liu Cixin, author of The Three-Body Problem trilogy.

Sci-fi's role in technological development explored at annual sci-tech gathering in Beijing