Constitution Memorial Day, celebrated in Japan on 3 May, has brought demonstrators to the Ogimati Park to speak against the revision of the war-denouncing constitution adopted after World War II. The protesters are holding banners with appeals to maintain peace in Asia, halt hostilities in Ukraine and to avert amendments to Article 9.
The rally is being successively addressed by the heads of various non-governmental organisations and student unions, with a video message from Akira Kawasaki, a member of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, also presented to the audience.
As the latest polls suggested, the war-denouncing constitutional provision is enjoying a large-scale support of the Japanese public. According to various estimates, from 50% to 70% of the population object amending Article 9, with only 26% standing in favour of revision, NHK broadcaster said.
The survey conducted by Kyodo news agency revealed that 76% of citizens believe that Japan has managed to avoid armed conflicts after World War II owing to Article 9, with only one-third of respondents, 29%, considering heightened international tensions to be a reason for revising the constitution, with a vast majority of 70% not thinking so.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party of Japan led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is advocating constitutional amendments to, in fact, capture the existence of the Japanese Self-Defence Forces (JSDF), which were founded in 1954 to ensure the country's external protection. In turn, opponents of the revision argue that the JSDF existence is unconstitutional as it defies Article 9 and call for preserving the article and reforming the JSDF, aiming to detach Japan form international conflicts.