JAPANESE YOUTH PROTEST THE EXPORTATION OF LETHAL WEAPONS TO COLLECTIVE WEST
- Michael Thervil
- Apr 22
- 3 min read
Written by Michael Thervil
[Japan youth protest lethal weapons] Japan, an island nation long considered by geopolitical analysts as nothing more than a vassal state to the Americans, is now facing a growing number of anti-American war protests by its youth. Japan which who has engaged in pacifism since their defeat at the end of the second world war is now being challenged by its youth who are against the Japanese government changing its 80-year old “Supreme Law” specifically "Article 9” of it’s Constitution in order for the Japanese government to overturn 80 years of pacifism and start exporting lethal weapons on the world stage. Generation Z and Alpha fear that the actions of the Japanese government will place the entire county at risk of being sucked into America's future wars. The inspiration for the protest was started by the joint Israeli-American war of choice and aggression towards Iran. This comes on the heels of Japan deploying 400 Japanese troops and participating in its first ever island chain military drills with the Philippines, France, New Zealand, Australia, and the Americans.
The targeted sale of lethal weapons to 17 countries which consist of the Collective West and western friendly countries would allow the Japanese Defense Force (JDF) to play a role in augmenting their military capabilities in which it has defense agreements with an would not allow Japan to exported American made weapon systems to countries currently engaged in war and other armed conflicts with the caveat of those nations facing acts of military aggression. Over the weekend, an estimated 36,000 Japanese youth took to the streets in front of the Japanese parliament also known as the “National Diet” in a joint effort to plead to Japanese politicians to reverse their decision on exporting lethal weapons to the Collective West and other nations. It should be noted that in Japan, most of the youth perceive politics as a “thing” for older people. In response to the youth-led protest, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who has been a proponent of constitutional reform, has stated that the amendment to Article 9 within the Japanese Constitution would allow Japan to reverse the political lopsided restriction on how Japan can militarily defend itself and it’s interest globally.
For many other left-wing politicians in Japan this is also a move that could potentially keep China and North Korea at bay while militarily cementing Japan as being on par with the likes of America and the U.K. as a “normal country” and not simply a vassal state. Backing this perspective is the fact that Prime Minister Sanae Takaishi stated to Press that: “The time has come” for “constitutional reform” and that “An independent constitutional amendment at the hands of the Japanese people is our party’s long-cherished goal” followed by Japan should “turn a new page” when it comes to the island nation's security affairs. The demographics of the protestors consisted of mostly women (60%), people in their 30’s, with 20% of the protestors being in their 20’s. The Japanese government is taking the position that the exporting of weapon systems to the collective west and other nations would reverse the downward trajectory of its economic system and increase the number of jobs across the island nation.
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