Hundreds of Japanese residents gathered in Tokyo on Tuesday, opposing the government's push to set up a national intelligence committee.
On April 23, Japan's House of Representatives passed a bill to set up the national intelligence council and the national intelligence bureau, seeking to create the country's first centralized national-level intelligence system since World War II.
Driven by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the overhaul consolidates power across government, military and private sectors under tight prime ministerial control.
Protesters said the bill would suppress the anti-war voices within Japan.
"Under the Takaichi government, many things are decided unilaterally by the government and then forcibly implemented. We work hard to pay taxes so that all of us can live healthy and stable lives, but why do they unilaterally plan to launch a war? And Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is evading responsibility, even unwilling to have a proper conversation, showing no remorse. I think this is absolutely unacceptable," said a protester.
The Takaichi government is also accelerating the efforts to expand military power and revise the country's current Constitution which took effect in 1947.
Widely known as the pacifist Constitution, the supreme law's Article 9 renounces war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes. It also stipulates that Japan will never maintain land, sea, and air forces or other war potential, and that the right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.
"First of all, I cannot understand why those who should abide by the Constitution want to revise it. Aren't there many things that should be prioritized over constitutional revision? For example, the effects of situation in the Strait of Hormuz, which leads to oil supply shortage. These issues have not been addressed, yet they keep talking about the Constitution and constitutional revision. I completely cannot understand this. I am absolutely opposed to revising the Constitution," said another protester.
Protesters rally in Tokyo against bill to set up national intelligence committee
