Anti-war protests rock Japan as PM pushes for stronger defence

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Anti-war protests rock Japan as PM pushes for stronger defence15 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleKurumi MoriTokyo correspondentBBC News: Jiro AkibaOn a Tokyo street corner, in the pouring rain, a swelling crowd gathered with drenched placards and sodden flags. On one of them was written just two words, in big bold Japanese kanji characters: "No War". It's a sentiment that is gaining more and more volume in Japan, which is currently witnessing its largest anti-war protests in decades.

Since coming to power in October 2025, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has taken major steps away from the country's post-war pacifist stance, lifting long-standing restrictions on arms exports and expanding Japan's military role abroad. The government says such moves are necessary in an increasingly tense region. But for many residents, it's raising alarm.

The Details

As fears grow that Japan is becoming a war-capable nation, protests are gaining momentum. Public protests in Japan tend to be relatively restrained. There's a strong cultural understanding of social harmony and not causing disruption.

So when people do take to the streets in large numbers, it usually signals something deeper. This time, the issue is Japan's national identity. The PM pushing for changeAfter World War Two, Japan adopted the constitution, including Article 9, which prohibits the maintenance of armed forces and renounces war as a right of sovereignty.

Now, Takaichi says this framework no longer reflects reality. Geographically, Japan sits in a challenging neighbourhood with an assertive China, an unpredictable North Korea, and Russia nearby. And the United States, its closest ally, has been encouraging Tokyo to play a more active security role.

What Experts Say

She's not the first Japanese leader to push for changes to Japan's postwar security framework. Getty ImagesOver the past few decades, conservative leaders, most notably from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, have called for amendments to Japan's 1947 constitution. Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had advocated revising Article 9 to formalise the role of the self-defence forces.

Under Abe, the Diet passed a controversial security bill in 2015 to expand the role of Japan's armed forces. This allows Japan to exercise limited self-defence, including supporting allies under attack. On 21 April, however, the Japanese government took a significant step: lifting its long-standing ban on exporting lethal weapons.

It argued that allies must support one another in what it calls an increasingly severe security environment. That decision struck a nerve with the Japanese people. Japan’s 75-year pacifism hangs in balance as new threats loomHiroshima: Ceremony marks 80th anniversary of atomic bombingJapan to deploy missiles on island near Taiwan by 2031Outside the prime minister's office, as the rain suddenly cleared and sunlight broke through, the crowd swelled and the chanting grew louder.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.