Denny Tamaki, who lost September's Okinawa gubernatorial election, joined a constitution-protection rally outside the main gate of the Diet on November 3, arguing that any revision of Japan's three non-nuclear principles would bring the fear of war back to Japan and to Okinawa.
The rally, billed as a "sovereign is us" constitutional action, marked 80 years since the promulgation of the constitution. Opposition lawmakers also spoke, calling for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to resign and for Japan to rethink its relationship with the United States. A separate group gathered just behind the speakers' platform and kept shouting abuse at those on stage.
Tamaki on Okinawa's return and US bases
Tamaki opened by introducing himself as "Tamaki, a resident of Okinawa," and closed his speech by repeating "We hate war." He pointed to Okinawa's 1972 return to Japanese administration, saying residents had pressed hard to be governed under the constitution's peace and had achieved the reversion.
He said about 1,300 nuclear weapons had been deployed on Okinawa while it was under US administration. Of the bases there now, he said: "You cannot say there are no nuclear warheads. That is because the Japanese people cannot go in and investigate."
Fukushima tells Takaichi: stop, stop, stop
Mizuho Fukushima, leader of the Social Democratic Party, declared her affection for the constitution. "I love the Constitution of Japan. I love it, I really, really love it," she said.
“He is tearing away at the constitution that says you must not go to war, and trying to go to war. Let us have a prime minister who wants to fight step down. Stop, stop, stop.”Mizuho Fukushima, leader, Social Democratic Party
Yoichi Iha, an Upper House member of the chamber group Okinawa no Kaze, took aim at the three national security documents, including the National Security Strategy. He called them "documents for fighting a war on Japanese soil so that Japan can supplement a defense strategy drawn up by the United States." He added that the plan had been to have Japan fight a war in 2027 or 2028.
Jeers from behind the stage
Near the Diet gate, a separate group gathered with the Hinomaru flag and the Rising Sun flag, shouting insults each time a speaker took the podium. Participants in the constitution-protection rally held placards attacking the Liberal Democratic Party, and one person waved a sheet reading "Don't send police to war either" at officers on guard duty.