Tokyo protesters challenge Takaichi on defense and Constitution
Xinhua · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside Japan's National Diet Building in Tokyo on Wednesday evening to oppose Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's push for military expansion and constitutional revision, with organizers also running an online component to widen participation. Protesters argued that rising defense outlays should give way to social welfare, disaster preparedness and support for people facing higher living costs, while many also defended Article 9 of Japan's pacifist constitution. The rally further targeted what participants and opposition figures described as the government's failure to reflect on Japan's wartime aggression and its unclear position on the Three Non-Nuclear Principles. Reported turnout differed by source, with Xinhua citing 15,000 in person and 25,000 online, while CGTN reported around 10,000 at the Diet site.
Key Points
- Demonstrators assembled in front of the National Diet Building on Wednesday evening, carrying banners such as “Oppose military expansion” and chanting “Defend the pacifist Constitution.”
- Xinhua said organizers counted about 15,000 people at the venue and another 25,000 online, while CGTN put the crowd at around 10,000.
- Japan's Defense Ministry is preparing to seek about 8.9 trillion yen for fiscal 2027, with Japanese media saying the final figure could approach 10 trillion yen
- Some protesters said public money should go to welfare, disaster readiness and households squeezed by inflation rather than to expanded military spending
- Social Democratic Party leader Mizuho Fukushima criticized Takaichi for omitting “reflection” on wartime aggression on Aug. 15 and for ambiguous remarks on the Three Non-Nuclear Principles
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the dispute shows how Japan's security debate is increasingly tied to domestic concerns over prices, welfare priorities and historical memory rather than defense policy alone. Any sustained shift in Tokyo toward higher military spending and constitutional change could reshape East Asian political and security calculations that matter to regional financial and travel hubs such as Hong Kong.