Yesterday evening (November 28), hundreds of Tokyo residents took to the streets in front of the prime minister's official residence, demanding that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi retract her recent remarks on the Taiwan region.
Armed with DIY signs and viral hashtags like #TakaichiRetract and #NeverForgetHistory, the crowd united under slogans such as "Takaichi resign" and "Never forget history, never repeat the same mistakes" 🪧✊
Tomoko, a university student, said, "At present, the relations between Japan and the Chinese mainland have cooled down. No matter how you look at it, it's all because of Takaichi's remarks."
Sakamaki, a young entrepreneur, added that Japan-China relations are deteriorating and Takaichi should retract her erroneous statements before the situation worsens.
Artist Ryo brought a cartoon depicting Prime Minister Takaichi shaking hands with a specter of militarism 🎨💀, expressing deep concern that Japan might drift toward a more militaristic path.
The demonstration built on two earlier protests held on November 21 and 25, creating a steady wave of civic action against the prime minister's stance.
At a Diet meeting on November 7, Takaichi claimed the Chinese mainland's use of force on the Taiwan region could pose a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan and even hinted at possible armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait. Her comments drew strong criticism, but she has refused to apologize or retract them, defending her position during the party leaders' debate.
An editorial by Mainichi Shimbun on Friday accused her of abdicating responsibility, while Asahi Shimbun noted there was "no sign of reflection" from the prime minister.
As cross-strait ties remain tense, many Japanese are calling for cooler heads, diplomatic dialogue, and a return to constructive engagement rather than heated rhetoric.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
