TOKYO, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Japanese citizens staged a protest rally in front of the National Diet in Tokyo on Monday evening, opposing the military buildup and constitutional revision drive of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government and calling for the preservation of peace.
Protesters chanted slogans including "Stop blindly following the United States," "Stop deploying long-range missiles," and "Takaichi must step down immediately."
According to organizers, about 10,000 people took part in the rally, while more than 300 solidarity events were held across Japan.
Mizuho Fukushima, leader of the Social Democratic Party, called for efforts to prevent the House of Representatives from beginning work on drafting proposed constitutional amendments. She also criticized the Takaichi government, accusing it of seeking to pave the way for constitutional revision by reducing the number of seats allocated through proportional representation.
Referring to the large-scale Japan-U.S. joint military exercises that began on Monday, Fukushima said they demonstrated the continued advance of Japan's militarization. "What we truly need now is to achieve peace," she said.
Taku Yamazoe, policy chief of the Japanese Communist Party, said the government's continued deployment of missiles and pursuit of increasingly advanced weapons had not brought peace.
"Japanese politics is now showing signs of a dangerous, full-scale revival of militarism," he warned.
The Takaichi government has recently accelerated its military buildup, significantly increased defense spending, eased restrictions on exports of lethal weapons, advanced plans to deploy medium- and long-range missiles, and expanded offensive military capabilities.
The government also plans to revise Japan's three key national security documents by the end of the year while stepping up efforts to amend the Constitution. These moves have continued to fuel concerns among peace groups and members of the public in Japan. ■