TOKYO, Oct. 29 — Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, and U.S. President Donald Trump took part in a series of talks on Tuesday during their first meeting in Tokyo.
Meanwhile, Japanese people took to the streets, voicing strong dissatisfaction with Trump’s visit and protesting against arms expansion and the weaponization of tariffs.
Protestors from all over Japan on Tuesday gathered in front of the Prime Minister’s Office, holding banners and placards that read “Oppose Japan-U.S. security arrangements,” “Oppose Japan-U.S. summit meeting” and “Trump not welcome.”
The people chanted slogans such as “Oppose war talks” and “Oppose Trump’s visit to Japan,” criticizing the strengthening of the Japan-U.S. military alliance that undermines regional stability.
They were forcibly dispersed by police, which resulted in instances of pushing and shoving between the two sides. Tadashi Fushimi, a member of the “Committee Against Trump’s Visit to Japan,” said that the U.S.’s trade wars and weaponizing tariffs are a blatant act of violence that goes against economic globalization and is essentially aimed at maximizing its own interests.
The so-called vision for a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” is, in reality, a means for Japan and the United States to pursue hegemony.
Japan should adhere to independent and autonomous diplomacy, rather than becoming involved in U.S. military strategy. The organization had held a protest march against Trump’s visit to Japan in Ginza, central Tokyo, last Sunday evening.
For a long time, Japan’s southernmost prefecture of Okinawa has suffered greatly from the presence of the U.S. military, with frequent safety incidents, aircraft noise and criminal activities seriously affecting the daily lives of local people.
Naito, a former resident of Okinawa, held up a banner reading “Oppose creating wars” at the rally, denouncing the strengthening of the Japan-U.S. military alliance.
Protester from Tokyo Iwagami said that the plan to revise three key national security documents completely deviates from Japan’s pacifist constitution, noting “With prices soaring in Japan, the government still wants to use taxpayers’ money to buy weapons.
This is forcing the people to pay for the military industry and is an attempt at military expansion, which will exacerbate regional tensions and is not conducive to peace.”
During the first Takaichi-Trump meeting, both sides reiterated their commitment to strengthening the alliance and jointly promoting the vision of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific.”
Trump explicitly welcomed Japan’s expanded purchases of U.S. defense equipment. Takaichi previously pledged to raise the country’s defense budget to 2 percent of gross domestic product by next March, two years ahead of the plan, and revise the National Security Strategy and two other key defense documents by the end of 2026. (Xinhua)
