Thousands rally in Tokyo against Takaichi's constitutional revision, military expansion

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Thousands rally in Tokyo against Takaichi's constitutional revision, military expansion

2026-05-20 17:42 Last Updated At：05-21 14:12

Tens of thousands of Japanese citizens gathered at the National Diet Building in Tokyo on Tuesday to protest against the Takaichi administration's recent moves undermining the country's pacifist constitution.

Protesters held signs with slogans calling for the protection of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, opposing its revision, and demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

Some protesters expressed strong concerns over the government's recent actions, including lifting the ban on lethal weapons export, significantly increasing defense spending, and initiating revisions to the Three Non-Nuclear Principles.

Japan's Constitution, which took effect in 1947, is often referred to as a pacifist constitution, as Article 9 states that the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of a nation, which will not threaten or use force to settle international disputes.

The Three Non-Nuclear Principles, not possessing, not producing and not allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons into Japanese territory, were first declared in the Diet, Japan's parliament, by then Japanese Prime Minister Eisaku Sato in 1967 and viewed as a national credo.

Apart from Tokyo, rallies were also held in other parts of Japan on the same day against the Takaichi government's moves.

Drone swarm deployed for full typhoon observation

Chinese meteorologists have deployed a swarm of drones for the first time to conduct three-dimensional observations throughout the entire passage of Typhoon Noul, providing new data to improve forecasting and disaster response.

The experiment began on Friday at the China Meteorological Administration's field research base for low-altitude weather observation in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, as meteorological researchers tracked Noul, the year's 12th typhoon.

Unlike a single drone, the drone swarm consists of multiple unmanned aircraft operating in coordination to simultaneously collect meteorological data at different locations and altitudes.

The drones continuously measured key low-altitude atmospheric conditions before, during and after the typhoon, including temperature, humidity, wind fields and turbulence. Researchers also monitored flight performance data to assess the operational limits of drones under extreme weather conditions.

The administration said the technology enables high-density, three-dimensional sampling of the lower atmosphere, helping fill gaps in offshore low-altitude observations. The data are expected to improve typhoon monitoring and forecasting while supporting the safe operation of drones in severe weather.

Noul landed near the coastal town of Pinghai in Huidong County, Huizhou City, at around 03:50 on Sunday, packing maximum sustained winds of 162 kilometers per hour.

It waned to a severe tropical storm and is tracking northward toward neighboring Hunan Province in central China.