Around 15,000 protestors rallied outside Japan’s National Diet building in Tokyo, condemning PM Sanae Takaichi’s push toward remilitarization. Protestors waved signs with messages such as “No war, no Takaichi,” “Do not repeat the mistakes of war; learn from history,” and “STOP playing war!” Along with massive increases to its military budget, Japan has rapidly been moving away from its post-WWII pacifist principles: The government lifted the country’s ban on lethal export weapons earlier this year, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has recently called for discussions on the acquisition of nuclear weapons, and Takaichi is pushing to revise article 9 – the pacifist clause of Japan’s constitution which prevents Tokyo from using military force to settle disputes. Critics warn the far-right Takaichi administration, along with the US, will lead the country into a war with China.

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