Thousands rally in Tokyo against Takaichi government’s push to revise pacifist constitution

Tokyo: Thousands of demonstrators gathered in front of Japan’s National Diet Building in Tokyo to protest the government’s attempts to undermine the country’s pacifist constitution through constitutional revision and military expansion policies.

According to the organisers, about 10,000 people attended the rally, voicing strong opposition to the administration of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and its recent security and defence initiatives.

Protesters held placards reading “Stop constitutional revision and military expansion” and “Do not destroy Article 9,” while chanting slogans such as “Stop missile deployment” and “Takaichi must resign.”

Yuki Hoshino, a participant at the rally, told Xinhua that the people do not want constitutional amendments, and that the Takaichi government is pushing the agenda without sufficient public consent.

“So many people have gathered here (to protest), hoping that (the government) will change its mind,” Hoshino said.

Another protester, Ryosuke Tanji, said Japan must never again repeat the tragedies of war.

“Absolutely no war should be allowed to happen,” he said.

“Japan committed terrible acts in the past, and perhaps many Japanese are gradually forgetting that history. But the more I learn about it, the more strongly I feel that such things must never happen again.”

Hiroshi Onishi, professor emeritus at Keio University, told Xinhua at the rally that the government’s recent military buildup contradicts the pacifist principles enshrined in Japan’s constitution and should be stopped.

Japanese media reported on Monday that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party had drafted proposals to revise the country’s three key national security documents. The proposals reportedly call for strengthening Japan’s air defense systems and sustained combat capabilities, as well as the early deployment of submarines powered by advanced propulsion systems and designed to carry long-range missiles to bolster Japan’s so-called “counterstrike capabilities.”

Japan’s current constitution, which took effect in 1947, contains the famous Article 9, under which the country renounces war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes. The article also stipulates that Japan will not maintain war potential, leading the constitution to be widely known as the “pacifist constitution,” Xinhua news agency reported.

Takaichi and other rightwing forces in Japan have long advocated revising Article 9. The prime minister has repeatedly expressed her support for constitutional revision this year, sparking growing concern and opposition among the Japanese public and various sectors of society.

IANS