Tokyo Rally Denounces Takaichi's Military Push and Constitutional Revision

Hundreds of demonstrators assembled outside Japan's National Diet Building in Tokyo on Wednesday to voice their opposition to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's aggressive military expansion agenda. The protest came amid reports that Tokyo's defense-related budget for fiscal year 2027 could soar to approximately 10 trillion yen (around $63 billion), fueling fears of a return to militarism.

Protesters carried banners and placards reading "No War" and "I don't support Takaichi," while some called for the protection of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, which renounces war as a sovereign right. Many speakers criticized the government for prioritizing military spending over pressing domestic needs.

One rally participant said, "I hate all policies that may lead to war. If money is spent on these things, it feels like we are racing straight toward war. Japan is already prone to various calamities like heavy rains, earthquakes. Instead of spending the money on these disasters, it is spent on military buildup and military-related fields."

Another protester expressed outrage that the budget was not directed toward social welfare: "This budget should have been used for social security. Not just social security — the money should also be used for people who are genuinely living in difficulties."

The demonstrations also targeted Takaichi's efforts to revise the Constitution, particularly Article 9. A third protester noted, "Japan was once an aggressor. It is precisely on the basis of reflecting upon this history that Article 9 of the present Constitution was formulated. That person — Sanae Takaichi — has in the past used all kinds of word games to deny the history of Japan's war of aggression."

Another demonstrator, a grandmother of two, said, "She is full of lies. She is a prime minister who is unwilling to talk with us. I have two grandsons, and I absolutely do not want them to go to the battlefield."

The rally underscored growing public anxiety over the government's military trajectory and its implications for Japan's pacifist identity.