Japanese residents held a rally on Tuesday to protest against the government's further military cooperation with the United States, which they see as an irreversible path towards war.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida started his visit to the United States on Monday.
This footage was filmed and produced 9 April 2024.
Storyline:
Japanese residents held a rally on Tuesday to protest against the government's further military cooperation with the United States, which they see as an irreversible path towards war.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida started his visit to the United States on Monday.
Before his departure for the United States, Kishida said that his visit would further promote cooperation between Japan and the United States in the areas such as the military, including establishing a cooperative command system between the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) and the United States Forces Japan (USFJ), setting up a joint development and production center of military equipment, and providing maintenance support for U.S. military vessels stationed in Japan.
The Japanese government decided at a cabinet meeting on March 26 to lift the ban on exporting the next-generation fighter jets set to be jointly developed with Britain and Italy to third countries. And its defense budget reached a historical high of 7.95 trillion yen (about 52.53 billion U.S. dollars), according to the national budget approved by the Japanese parliament on March 28 for fiscal 2024, which totaled 112.57 trillion yen.
These policies taken by the Japanese government have left the Japanese people dissatisfied and they have taken to the streets to express their firm opposition.
Shotlist:
Tokyo, Japan - April 9, 2024:
1. Various of meeting against Japan-U.S. summit in progress;
2. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) student (name not given) (partially overlaid with shot 3):
"I think it is heading towards war. The Japan-U.S. meeting this time is a 'war conference' aimed at promoting the integration of the JSDF and the USFJ. As a Japanese student, I must voice my opposition.";
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3. Protesters holding banners;
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4. Protesters holding banners, placards;
5. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) resident (name not given) (partially overlaid with shot 6):
"Japan launched aggressive wars against many Asian countries during World War II. Given Japan's history of militarist aggression, the Kishida government's current push for the Japan-U.S. alliance is leading Japan again to a road towards war."
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6. Protesters holding banners, placards;
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7. Various of protesters;
8. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) resident (name not given) (partially overlaid with shot 9):
"It is absolutely unacceptable for the government to put all its resources into war and military affairs regardless of the difficulties in medical care and people's livelihood. The lifting of the export ban on the most powerful and aggressive fighters would be an unprecedented change for Japan. I truly believe that Japan is becoming a warring nation, and I have a strong sense of crisis about this.";
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9. Protester holding placard;
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10. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Shunkichi Takayama, lawyer:
"I feel that we are getting closer and closer to war, to the outbreak of an aggressive war, which we, the Japanese people, cannot tolerate in any way. Looking back on our history, I feel that we are walking toward, or have already walked on a dangerous path that we must not tread on.";
11. Protesters holding placard.
[RESTRICTIONS: No access Chinese mainland]
