Tokyo protesters rally against military buildup and constitutional revision

A large crowd of demonstrators assembled outside Japan's National Diet in Tokyo to protest the government's military expansion and its push to revise the country's pacifist Constitution, while also demanding that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi retract her remarks concerning China's Taiwan region.

One participant said the political situation had become chaotic and criticised the absence of an apology to China, which the speaker believed was warranted. Expressing a wish for friendly ties with other Asian nations, the demonstrator said another war must be avoided at all costs.

The protester argued that Japan is steadily moving toward militarisation, with defence spending rising in line with demands from the United States, and said the rally was organised to oppose that direction.

A second demonstrator voiced alarm over the expansion of Japan's military capabilities, pointing to the situation in Okinawa and plans to build missile bases there. The participant described these developments as dangerous and frightening, and said Japan appeared to be advancing step by step toward war.

The demonstrator insisted the Constitution must not be revised, asserting that the overwhelming majority of Japanese people oppose revision and do not want the country to become one capable of waging war. Such matters, the participant added, should not be pushed through merely on the strength of a majority of seats in the Diet.

Protesters carried signs and gathered in the streets near the parliament building, where police officers were also present.