Japanese residents gathered in Osaka on Thursday to protest against a series of dangerous moves by the Sanae Takaichi government, including its lifting of a ban on lethal weapons exports and the establishment of National Intelligence Bureau.
People gathered at a busy commercial district near Osaka Station, holding banners and posters that express their oppositions and concerns.
"I'm worried that the 'National Intelligence Bureau' might end up like the old 'Special Higher Police.' It makes me think they [the government] might be trying to start a war again," said a protester.
Japan launched its new National Intelligence Bureau on July 31, marking the establishment of the country's first centralized national intelligence system since World War II.
It represents another step in Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's efforts to strengthen Japan's intelligence capabilities.
The bureau's creation follows the enactment of a law in May that established it alongside the National Intelligence Council, a central command body headed by the prime minister and composed of nine other Cabinet ministers.
The bureau serves as the secretariat for the council and will coordinate intelligence gathered by the National Police Agency, the Foreign Ministry, the Defense Ministry and other organizations, with the authority to require them to share information.
Protesters also voiced firm opposition to any revision of the country's "Three Non-Nuclear Principles," which prohibit Japan from possessing, producing, or allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons.
"The Takaichi administration makes me feel like Japan could head toward militarism, which scares me. So I've gone back to look up Japan's history of aggression, and the more I learn, the more I feel that these things must never be repeated. I think the tensions between Japan and other Asian countries now have a lot to do with these unresolved historical issues. That's why I started getting involved in these activities," said another protester.
"The 'Three Non-Nuclear Principles' is Japan's national policy that need to be upheld. It's precisely because Japan has stuck to the Pacifist Constitution that we've been able to avoid war. So I really hope we can keep that going," said another protester.
Protesters voice opposition against Japan's military expansion policy
