A group of Japanese people rallied in front of the headquarters of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan's biggest defense contractor, in Tokyo on Friday to voice their strong opposition to the export of lethal weapons.
Over the recent years, the Japanese government has continuously increased its defense budget, lifted the post-war ban on Japan's arms export, and promoted the development of Japan's domestic defense industry.
The Japanese government has raised its defense budget consecutively for multiple years, driving the growth of military enterprises through military buildup. In the fiscal year 2025 financial reports, Japan's three major heavy industrial manufacturers including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and the IHI Corporation, all achieved record-high profits.
"Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, together with the government, exports weapons used for killing, thereby fueling the advancement of warfare. I believe that there is a close interest-based relationship between the corporation and the Japanese government, in which they mutually promote arms export and jointly pursue profits," said a protester.
"As the Japanese government policies have shifted, lethal weapons can now truly be exported on a full scale. As a result, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries stands to profit from this going forward. Even if these weapons possess offensive capabilities, they are still claimed to be for defensive purposes under the current policy. But in the future, the lethal weapons produced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, including missiles, frigates, and fighter jets, will all be continuously exported. Therefore, we must not be deceived by these claims. Instead, we should carefully see through what they are actually manufacturing and what they are selling. It is also our responsibility to expose these facts," said another protester.
The protesters also said that the Japanese government is expanding military buildup and constantly loosening the restrictions on the export of weapons. Now, in its efforts to foster the domestic defense industry, the Japanese government has not only expanded its defense budget but also expedited the constitutional amendment process.
The demonstrators said this drift toward war is a source of growing concern for them.
"Ultimately, I think that this comes down to how we view the issue of reflection on the war. After the war, Japan should have built a peaceful society and achieved a major shift in values based on reflection on the war. Yet now, profiting from war is being pursued. This is absolutely intolerable. To that end, the various damages inflicted during the war must also be seriously accounted for. The reason we raise these demands is that we believe they relate to Japan's future development direction. Japan's industry has developed precisely on the foundation of Article 9 of the Constitution, so this path must not be changed. We should pursue a society that fosters friendly relations with people around the world and achieve development on that basis. That is precisely why I believe that revising Article 9 cannot be permitted. Japan's postwar history has been built along these lines. Therefore, altering that history is unacceptable," said a protester.
Japaneses speak up against export of lethal weapons
