Japanese PM Heckled by Angry Protesters at WWII Commemoration

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was heckled by demonstrators whilst attending a World War II commemoration on Tuesday, local time. The protesters vented their fury over the government’s shift away from the pacifist stance Japan has held for decades.

Japan, a close ally of the United States, relaxed rules on exporting lethal weapons in April, with Takaichi expressing a desire to revise the country’s constitution. She has long been viewed as a hardline security hawk, angering China last year with her comments on Taiwan.

According to AFP, demonstrators shouted at Takaichi as she attended the 81st anniversary of the end of the brutal 1945 Battle of Okinawa, in which some 200,000 Japanese perished. A highly vocal group of protesters heckled the prime minister throughout her speech, shouting ‘No to war!’ and ‘Protect Article 9!’ — a reference to the constitutional clause renouncing war.

‘Whenever I reflect on the regret of all those who fell in the war and the sorrow of the bereaved families, my heart is filled with deep sadness,’ Takaichi said in her address. ‘Under our firm pledge never to repeat the devastation of war, Japan has steadfastly walked the path of a nation that places the highest value on peace,’ the female premier stated.

Okinawa, located in southern Japan, is also home to a major US military base — a long-standing source of local grievance — and could find itself on the front line in any future conflict with China over Taiwan. In recent months, there have been regular protests against the policy changes under Takaichi, which have also drawn an angry response from Beijing, accusing Tokyo of reviving wartime ‘militarism’.

Following its defeat in World War II in 1945, Japan maintained a pacifist posture, with its military limited to defensive operations. However, in recent years, Japan has sought to acquire ‘counter-strike’ capabilities whilst increasing defence spending and boosting security cooperation with regional allies, including the Philippines. This has accelerated under Takaichi, who angered China last November by suggesting Japan might intervene militarily against any attempt by Beijing to seize Taiwan. The comments sparked a diplomatic row, with Chinese authorities urging their citizens to avoid Japan and restricting trade with Tokyo.