Japan Press Weekly

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2022 September 28 - October 4 [POLITICS]

Young people organize pro-Constitution demonstration in Tokyo's Shinjuku

A young people's demonstration calling for defending the pacifist Constitution and protecting young people's livelihoods took place on October 2 in Tokyo's Shinjuku.

About 200 young people from the Tokyo metropolitan area participated in the demonstration held as part of a nationwide united action which the Democratic Youth League of Japan (DYLJ) and the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) Youth Section organized in order to have young people's voices in opposition to constitutional revision heard throughout the country.

Araki Haruhisa, 17, worries about possible amendments to the Constitution with the increase in the number of constitutional revisionists in the Diet as a result of the summer Upper House election. Araki said, "I decided to come here because I thought I must voice opposition to adverse constitutional revision."

Tokunaga Yu, 26, said, "Many people are now adversely affected by price hikes, but the government shows no intent to introduce adequate relief measures. I want to change the present government which only has constitutional amendments and arms expansion in mind."

DYLJ Vice Chair Nakayama Ayumi said, "We're glad to see many young people coming for the first time to participate in our demonstration. We will continue to work to spread the message among young people that only when our Constitution is properly embodied in our lives will the issues of high tuition fees and inadequate minimum wages be solved and young people's living conditions be improved."