A sign is pictured during a rally in front of the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo, Japan, Dec. 23, 2025. Japanese citizens held a rally on Tuesday evening in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo, demanding that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi retract her erroneous remarks on Taiwan and criticizing comments by a senior government official advocating nuclear armament. (Xinhua/Jia Haocheng)
TOKYO, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) — Japanese citizens held a rally on Tuesday evening in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo, demanding that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi retract her erroneous remarks on Taiwan and criticizing comments by a senior government official advocating nuclear armament.
At the rally, protesters chanted slogans such as “Uphold the Constitution” and “Do not incite war.” Mizuho Fukushima, leader of Japan’s Social Democratic Party, delivered a speech criticizing the direction of the government’s security policy. She said that public remarks by the official in charge of security policy at the Prime Minister’s Office advocating the possession of nuclear weapons have shaken Japan’s long-standing Three Non-Nuclear Principles.
Fukushima described the Takaichi cabinet as one “preparing for war,” noting that Japan’s defense budget has continued to rise and that its trajectory increasingly evokes memories of Japan before World War II.
Fukushima also strongly demanded that Takaichi retract her erroneous remarks on Taiwan, stressing that such statements clearly violate Article 9 of Japan’s Constitution.
Koichi Nakano, a professor of international politics at Sophia University in Tokyo, told Xinhua that many people have a very limited understanding of the seriousness of Takaichi’s remarks on Taiwan, which he attributed to Japan’s long-standing lack of systematic and sufficient historical education. Nakano emphasized that Japan’s post-war constitution and the fundamental premise for Japan’s role in the international community should always be to “never repeat the mistakes of history.”
Chieko Okada, a citizen participating in the protest, pointed out that the government is attempting to downplay or even cover up Japan’s historical role as a perpetrator of war. She said that her biggest concern is that some citizens are supporting the government’s security policies without a true understanding of history, and that Takaichi “should retract her dangerous and erroneous statements.” ■
Koichi Nakano, a professor of international politics at Sophia University in Tokyo, speaks during a rally in front of the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo, Japan, Dec. 23, 2025. Japanese citizens held a rally on Tuesday evening in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo, demanding that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi retract her erroneous remarks on Taiwan and criticizing comments by a senior government official advocating nuclear armament. (Xinhua/Jia Haocheng)
A person attends a rally in front of the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo, Japan, Dec. 23, 2025. Japanese citizens held a rally on Tuesday evening in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo, demanding that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi retract her erroneous remarks on Taiwan and criticizing comments by a senior government official advocating nuclear armament. (Xinhua/Jia Haocheng)
People attend a rally in front of the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo, Japan, Dec. 23, 2025. Japanese citizens held a rally on Tuesday evening in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo, demanding that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi retract her erroneous remarks on Taiwan and criticizing comments by a senior government official advocating nuclear armament. (Xinhua/Jia Haocheng)
People holding signs attend a rally in front of the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo, Japan, Dec. 23, 2025. Japanese citizens held a rally on Tuesday evening in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo, demanding that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi retract her erroneous remarks on Taiwan and criticizing comments by a senior government official advocating nuclear armament. (Xinhua/Jia Haocheng)
A sign is pictured during a rally in front of the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo, Japan, Dec. 23, 2025. Japanese citizens held a rally on Tuesday evening in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo, demanding that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi retract her erroneous remarks on Taiwan and criticizing comments by a senior government official advocating nuclear armament. (Xinhua/Jia Haocheng)
People holding signs attend a rally in front of the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo, Japan, Dec. 23, 2025. Japanese citizens held a rally on Tuesday evening in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo, demanding that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi retract her erroneous remarks on Taiwan and criticizing comments by a senior government official advocating nuclear armament. (Xinhua/Jia Haocheng)
Mizuho Fukushima, leader of Japan’s Social Democratic Party, delivers a speech during a rally in front of the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo, Japan, Dec. 23, 2025. Japanese citizens held a rally on Tuesday evening in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo, demanding that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi retract her erroneous remarks on Taiwan and criticizing comments by a senior government official advocating nuclear armament. (Xinhua/Jia Haocheng)
