Japan-Constitutional Revision/Protesters

Tokyo residents rally against Takaichi government's military expansion, constitutional revision

  • English
  • 日本語
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  • ID : 8497519
  • Dateline : Sept 3, 2026
  • Location : Tokyo,Japan
  • Category : Other
  • Duration : 3'28
  • Audio Language : Japanese/Nats/Part Mute
  • Source : China Central Television (CCTV)
  • Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland
  • Published : 2026-09-03 23:22
  • Last Modified : 2026-09-04 16:46:03
  • Version : 1
  • ID : 8497519
  • Dateline : 2026年9月3日
  • Category : Other
  • Duration : 3'28
  • Audio Language : 日本語/自然音声/一部音声なし
  • Source : China Central Television (CCTV)
  • Restrictions : 中国大陸での使用は不可
  • Published : 2026-09-04 16:40
  • Last Modified : 2026-09-04 16:46:03
  • Version : 1

Japan-Constitutional Revision/Protesters

Tokyo residents rally against Takaichi government's military expansion, constitutional revision

Dateline : Sept 3, 2026

Location : Tokyo,Japan

Duration : 3'28

  • English
  • 日本語


Tokyo, Japan - Sept 3, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. National Diet building
2. Various of protesters holding placards
3. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) rally participant (starting with shot 2/partially overlaid with shot 4):
"Japan once committed the error of invading China and other countries in Southeast Asia. It's beyond doubt that Japan launched aggression and it should never be forgotten. Those who inflicted harm on others must never forget what they themselves did. Takaichi said she belongs to a new generation and bears no responsibility for World War II and it has nothing to do with her. I think that argument is wrong. We are the descendants of those who once waged aggression, and we must keep that history in mind and face it squarely.”
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
4. Protester holding placards
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
5. People rallying on street
6. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) rally participant (ending with shot 7):
"The problem is that Japan never truly accepted its wartime responsibilities from the beginning. It has muddled through with vague wording all the way to today, and that is exactly why people like her have emerged. To put it bluntly, Takaichi should have offered a formal apology to China last year. Not only did she fail to do so, she has been moving in the completely opposite direction."
7. Road sign for Prime Minister's Office
8. National Diet building
9. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) rally participant (partially overlaid with 10):
"As prime minister, Takaichi has given almost no serious thought to what Japan once did, what kind of war it waged, and how it should reflect on that history. I think that is shameful in the eyes of the world. I am holding this placard reading 'Do not destroy Article 9. Let Article 9 truly function.' That is almost my last wish, because Article 9 has already been eroded so badly. That is why I sincerely hope Takaichi will resign. She is no longer fit to serve as prime minister."
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
10. Various of protesters holding placards
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
11. Protester holding placard
12. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) rally participant:
"I do not use the word defense budget. I call it a military budget. I think this massive increase in the military budget is a very serious matter, because essentially it is preparation for war. That is precisely why I have been protesting in front of the Diet building for a long time."
13. Various of people rallying on street, holding placards
14. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) rally participant (starting with shot 13):
"I hope that Japan will not head towards war. I absolutely do not want war to happen. I firmly oppose the rise in the military budget. Rather than spending money on such things, Japan is suffering disasters in many places right now that need reconstruction and assistance. Those should be the priority. The current approach puts the cart before the horse."

FILE: Tokyo, Japan - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
15. Various of Japanese Defense Ministry, security guards

Tokyo, Japan - Sept 3, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
16. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) rally participant (partially overlaid with shot 17):
"In my view, much of Japan's military budget already meets the standard of a 'military buildup.' I cannot accept that. What I fear most is that it becomes the trigger for conflict and may even lead to war. Article 9 of the Constitution must never be changed."
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
17. Protester holding placard
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
18. National Diet building


A group of Japanese citizens held a rally in front of the National Diet in Tokyo on Thursday, to voice their opposition to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's push to expand the military and revise the country's pacifist constitution.

Protesters said Japan's past wars of aggression are an indisputable fact and the government must face up to history rather than evade responsibility, adding that the Japanese society must seriously reflect on the invasion of China and other parts of Asia in the last century.

They criticized Takaichi for claiming that she belongs to a "new generation" that bears no responsibility for Japan's actions during World War II.

"Japan once committed the error of invading China and other countries in Southeast Asia. It's beyond doubt that Japan launched aggression and it should never be forgotten. Those who inflicted harm on others must never forget what they themselves did. Takaichi said she belongs to a new generation and bears no responsibility for World War II and it has nothing to do with her. I think that argument is wrong. We are the descendants of those who once waged aggression, and we must keep that history in mind and face it squarely," said one protester.

"The problem is that Japan never truly accepted its wartime responsibilities from the beginning. It has muddled through with vague wording all the way to today, and that is exactly why people like her have emerged. To put it bluntly, Takaichi should have offered a formal apology to China last year. Not only did she fail to do so, she has been moving in the completely opposite direction," said another protester at the rally.

Some held placards urging Takaichi not to destroy Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan, which renounces war and bans Japan from building the capacity to wage war.

"As prime minister, Takaichi has given almost no serious thought to what Japan once did, what kind of war it waged, and how it should reflect on that history. I think that is shameful in the eyes of the world. I am holding this placard reading 'Do not destroy Article 9. Let Article 9 truly function.' That is almost my last wish, because Article 9 has already been eroded so badly. That is why I sincerely hope Takaichi will resign. She is no longer fit to serve as prime minister," said a protester.

Japan's Defense Ministry plans to request a record-high budget of about 8.9 trillion yen (around 56 billion U.S. dollars) for fiscal 2027, Japanese media reported recently, a number which could rise even further when finalized.

A large portion of the proposed funds is expected to be used to acquire offensive weapons and develop "new forms of warfare."

"I do not use the word defense budget. I call it a military budget. I think this massive increase in the military budget is a very serious matter, because essentially it is preparation for war. That is precisely why I have been protesting in front of the Diet building for a long time," said another rally participant.

"I hope that Japan will not head towards war. I absolutely do not want war to happen. I firmly oppose the rise in the military budget. Rather than spending money on such things, Japan is suffering disasters in many places right now that need reconstruction and assistance. Those should be the priority. The current approach puts the cart before the horse," said a protester.

"In my view, much of Japan's military budget already meets the standard of a 'military buildup.' I cannot accept that. What I fear most is that it becomes the trigger for conflict and may even lead to war. Article 9 of the Constitution must never be changed," said another protester.

ID : 8497519

Published : 2026-09-03 23:22

Last Modified : 2026-09-04 16:46:03

Source : China Central Television (CCTV)

Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland

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