A group of residents in Kagoshima, Japan gathered near the Kanoya Air Base of the Maritime Self-Defense Force on Sunday to protest against the joint military exercises with the United States and the Japanese government's move to expand its military and revise the country's pacifist constitution.
In June this year, the U.S. army deployed its Typhon mid-range missile system to the Kanoya Air Base for joint military exercises such as the Valiant Shield 2026 in June and the Orient Shield in September.
This deployment has raised concerns among Kagoshima residents that it could turn host communities into primary military targets.
They held banners to protest against the deployment of U.S. missiles, the export of lethal weapons, as well as Japan-U.S. joint military drills that escalate regional tensions.
"I have always believed that war must never happen. Therefore, I hope that local authorities will remove such lethal military deployments," said a protester.
"I hope they will stop building military facilities that would make this place a target for attack. That's my view -- peace is what matters most," said another protester.
Japan's Constitution, which took effect in 1947, is often referred to as a pacifist constitution because its Article 9 renounces war as a sovereign right and prohibits Japan from possessing "war potential," including military forces.
However, its practical application has shifted significantly as the Japanese government seeks military expansion and the formal revision of Article 9.
"Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution is very important. I hope it will be treasured and well protected, but the Japanese society is clearly not going this way. War only brings destruction. It's an extremely stupid thing. I hope to prevent wars," said another protester.
Japanese rally against joint military exercises with US
As floodwaters from Typhoon Maysak receded, the jasmine fields of China's "jasmine capital" Hengzhou in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region sprang back to life, with the local flower market welcoming its peak buying season.
In early July, the typhoon drenched the region with storm and flood, inundating nearly 60 percent of Hengzhou's jasmine plantations, totaling around 100,000 mu (about 6,700 hectares).
Government relief and company support have spurred a swift recovery, with farmers once again hauling freshly picked jasmine blossoms into Hengzhou's Shijing trading market.
The current harvest is the first post-disaster flush from the less-damaged fields. Though yields are lower, having flowers to sell cheered local farmers up.
"My home was flooded for around four or five days. The government helped, and the whole jasmine chain has been rebuilt by now," said farmer Li Yeji.
As the jasmine market entered its peak procurement window, tight supply drove prices to 82 yuan (about 12 U.S. dollars) per kilogram, which is twice the usual rate.
"If growers see plenty of tea companies still buying, it gives them a real boost," said Chen Hongfei, marketing director at a local agritech firm.
"We can get through this. At these prices, we are definitely happy," local farmer Zhou Ailian went straight forward.
From the business side, tea merchant Lin Yongjian, who has worked in Hengzhou for years, saw his daily flower intake plunge to 30 percent of normal levels. He has juggled production schedules to fulfill orders while paying more to reassure growers.
"We raised prices early on to restore growers' confidence, and handed out free medicine and fertilizer to affected farmers. We are doing everything to help them recover and improve flower quality," he said.
With more farmers back in the fields, the daily trading volume at the Hengzhou jasmine market has climbed to roughly 400,000 kilograms.
"The new-style tea beverage industry currently has a large jasmine demand. As the weather improves and temperatures rise, we are fully confident about the jasmine production ahead," said Luo Yuzhen, head of the local flower tea association.
Typhoon‑hit jasmine industry in Guangxi rebounds as farmers return to fields
