A group of Japanese people gathered on Thursday in front of the House of Representatives members' office building in Tokyo to protest against the government's record-high defense budget for the new fiscal year and its push to lift the ban on lethal weapon exports.
Protesters chanted slogans such as "firmly oppose revising the constitution for the worse" and "do not amend the constitution to prepare for war."
"What Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is doing toward war is constitutional amendment for the worse. Additionally, she's pushing for military expansion, public security, and legislation. There are the three pillars that she's trying to advance. Japan invaded China 80 years ago and it has shown no remorse or offered no apology for it. Those currently in power today are also this type of people. We believe that those actions are completely over the line. We act with a sense of remorse and apology, but Takaichi is different, she acts just the opposition way," a protester said.
"What they call defense is nothing but a lie. As a matter of fact, they are just producing more and more offensive weapons. It's really for an aggressive war," said a protester.
"The government is pressing ahead with the deployment of long-range missiles, which is unacceptable. This is clearly a violation of the constitution. If left unchecked, Japan will repeat the mistakes of its imperial past. We must stop it. We want to seize this opportunity to dismantle Japan's imperialist tendencies and turn the country into one that can stand together with the people of Asia," said another protester.
The protests came as the Japanese government seeks to ease weapons export restrictions. Three opposition parties, the Reform Union, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito, are planning to submit a proposal to the government, calling for stricter review mechanisms and adherence to the constitutional principle of pacifism. They warned that hasty changes could harm Japan's international credibility.
Meanwhile, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is pushing to revise arms export guidelines as early as this month, drawing sharp criticism.
Analysts warn that once Japan's economy becomes dependent on the arms industry, it may be difficult to turn back.
Japanese people rally against gov't's push to lift ban on lethal weapon exports, record high defense budget
Japanese people rally against gov't's push to lift ban on lethal weapon exports, record high defense budget
