December 9, 2021

Peace activists on December 8, the day marking 80 years since the beginning of the Pacific War, appealed to passersby and shoppers in downtown Tokyo to work to stop the Kishida government from building up Japan's military strength and adversely revising the country's pacifist Constitution. They called for the realization of a government serving Constitution-based politics.

Chisaka Jun, secretary general of the Japan Peace Committee, pointed out, "The present Constitution was formed upon the precious sacrifices of the war dead, but Prime Minister Kishida is attempting to change the Constitution during his term of office."

Shibata Masako, president of the Japan Federation of Women's Organizations (Fudanren), said, "The war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution is a world treasure. Let us defend this article and build a free and peaceful Japan."

Higashimori Hideo who is working to help abrogate the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty expressed concern by saying, "PM Kishida proclaims that his government will strengthen its 'capability to attack enemy bases', but a major military buildup will only increase military tensions in Northeast Asia."

Omori Takeshi, vice president of the Japan-China Friendship Association, said, "Next year will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China. Japan's deep remorse over its past invasion of China and its strict compliance with Article 9 of the Constitution will help to maintain peace and security in both countries."

In the administrative district in Tokyo on the same day, women's organizations handed out copies of the draft notice "red slip" to passersby, calling for a peaceful Japan. They criticized the Kishida Cabinet for allocating a record-high defense budget in the supplementary budget for fiscal 2021, and said, "The government should prioritize the budget for healthcare, welfare, and education, not for arms expansion."

A member of the All Japan Teachers and Staff Union (Zenkyo) said that she wants her students to see Japan as a country which values dialogue on an equal footing with neighboring nations, not a country which threatens its neighbors with a nuclear deterrence policy and continual military buildup.