TOKYO, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- A Japanese civic group held a documentary screening in Tokyo on Saturday evening, looking back on the history of Japan's war of aggression and raising awareness of the potential risk of war arising from the government's continued military buildup.
The documentary, whose title translates into English as "Aggression: The Untold War," uses historical footage to trace how Japan launched its war of aggression against China and expose atrocities committed by the Japanese military in China, including the Nanjing Massacre and biological warfare.
The organizers said that as the government of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi continues to push for revising Japan's pacifist constitution and to change its security policies, the risk of Japan being drawn into another war is growing. Under the current circumstances, they said, it is particularly important to re-examine the history of Japan's war of aggression.
During a post-screening commentary session, the organizers criticized the Takaichi administration for continually strengthening Japan's military capabilities under the pretext of "maintaining regional peace and stability," saying its actions are effectively steering the country toward war preparations.
They also argued that the government's large-scale military buildup would inevitably increase the tax burden on the public, and that when people voice opposition, the government and right-wing forces may suppress dissent in the name of "defending the country," repeating a pattern seen in history.
Kimura, an audience member, told Xinhua that she firmly opposes the Japanese government spending large amounts of public funds on military expansion, saying that "the government should allocate more funding to education and improving people's livelihoods."
Kimura said she truly feels that Japan "is now at a historical turning point" and that "the current cabinet is trying to lead Japan toward war."
Kyodo News reported on Friday that the Japanese government is considering a significant increase in defense spending over the next five years, with plans to raise the total defense budget for fiscal 2027 through 2031 to 60 trillion yen (about 376 billion U.S. dollars) when it revises the country's three key security documents by the end of this year.
Amid the government's continued push to build up its so-called "defense capabilities," the move has further fueled concerns across Japanese society. ■