Tens of Thousands in Tokyo Protest PM Takaichi, Military Expansion & Alignment with US-Israel

Reflecto News | Asia-Pacific | Protests & Geopolitics

TOKYO — Around 30,000 to 36,000 demonstrators gathered in central Tokyo on Thursday, chanting for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to resign and demanding that Japan uphold its pacifist constitution rather than expand its military capabilities or deepen alignment with the United States and Israel.

The protest, one of the largest anti-war rallies in Japan since the 1960s, underscores growing domestic opposition to Takaichi’s sweeping national security revision plans, which include rewriting Japan’s pacifist Article 9 and acquiring nuclear-powered submarines.

“Sanae Takaichi, resign as Prime Minister! Uphold the Constitution! Protect peace! Use our tax money for peace!”
— Protesters in Tokyo

The massive gathering marks the fourth consecutive month of protests against Takaichi’s security policies. Organizers estimated the crowd at 36,000 (about twice the number of Japanese soldiers stationed in the Middle East). The rally was the culmination of a series of large anti-war protests held across Japan in March and April 2026 .

📜 Article 9 Under Threat

At the core of the protesters’ anger is Takaichi’s pledge to revise Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, which “renounces war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as a means of settling international disputes.”

Since taking office in 2025, Takaichi has accelerated the reinterpretation of Article 9 to allow for preemptive strikes and has proposed a formal amendment to delete the clause altogether—a move that would require a two-thirds majority in parliament and a national referendum.

Protesters are concerned about the removal of Article 9, which would effectively allow Japan to wage full-scale war for the first time since 1945. They are also concerned about the militarization of schools, as the government has expanded funding for military recruitment propaganda targeting high school students .

🇺🇸🇮🇱 Alignment with the US and Israel

The rally also took aim at Takaichi’s foreign policy, which has tilted Japan toward closer alignment with the United States and Israel.

Tokyo has deepened intelligence sharing with Washington; the US has redeployed naval assets to Yokosuka, and Japan has signed a military logistics deal with Israel.

Protesters held signs reading “No to war” and “Don’t involve Japan in America’s wars,” reflecting fears that Japan is being dragged into the US-Israel conflict with Iran and could become a target of retaliation .

Chants were also critical of the alliance with Israel, especially following recent Israeli military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, which Japanese activists see as violations of international law .

🗣️ The PM’s Response: No Backtracking

Prime Minister Takaichi has not backed down. In a statement released shortly after the protest, she reiterated that “Japan’s security environment has changed,” citing North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, China’s military buildup, and Russia’s war in Ukraine . She argued that Japan must modernize its military to defend itself.

However, recent polling suggests that a plurality of the public opposes a formal revision of Article 9, and the controversy is weighing on her cabinet’s approval ratings, which have fallen into the 30s .

The massive crowd in Tokyo served as a powerful reminder that despite Takaichi’s electoral mandate, a large segment of the Japanese public remains deeply attached to the pacifism that has defined the country’s identity for eight decades .

📋 Key Takeaways at a Glance

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