Storyline: A Japanese scholar has expressed serious concerns over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent provocative remarks on Taiwan, urging the government to retract the remarks and issue an immediate apology to China. Takaichi recently said that the Chinese mainland's "use of force on Taiwan" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan and implied the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait. Despite multiple representations from China, the Japanese side has refused to retract the remarks. Yasukatsu Matsushima, a professor at the Ryukoku University in Japan, said in an exclusive interview with China Media Group (CMG) that Takaichi's remarks violate both the Japanese Constitution and international law, calling for prompt retraction to reduce their harmful consequences. "The legal effect of the Japanese Constitution remains unchanged. However, the Takaichi administration is attempting to alter this and has made remarks that violate the Constitution. This is an extremely serious issue, and also represents a major problem from the perspective of international law. I think Prime Minister Takaichi must retract these remarks," Matsushima said. The professor also stressed that Japan, as an island nation, must maintain good relations with other countries from an economic standpoint. He urged a prompt apology for the wrongful remarks. "The remarks by the Takaichi administration carry militaristic undertones and are plunging Japan further into crisis. In fact, the 'survival threat' lies in the fact that the longer the Takaichi administration remains in power, the greater the risk gets for Japan's national survival. From an economic perspective, Japan is an island nation and must maintain friendly relations with other countries, particularly with China, which is one of Japan's most important trading partners. A peaceful environment must be maintained, especially given the many Chinese tourists visiting Japan. Therefore, I believe an apology should be issued as soon as possible," Matsushima added. Shotlist: FILE: Tokyo, Japan - Date Unknown: 1. Various of National Diet building, national flag Japan - Nov 18, 2025: 2. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Yasukatsu Matsushima, professor, Ryukoku University (partially overlaid with shot 3): "The legal effect of the Japanese Constitution remains unchanged. However, the Takaichi administration is attempting to alter this and has made remarks that violate the Constitution. This is an extremely serious issue, and also represents a major problem from the perspective of international law. I think Prime Minister Takaichi must retract these remarks." [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] Tokyo, Japan - Oct 21, 2025: 3. Various of National Diet building [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] FILE: Tokyo, Japan - Aug 18, 2023: 4. Sign showing Japanese prime minister's office FILE: Tokyo, Japan - 2017: 5. Japanese prime minister's office building Japan - Nov 18, 2025: 6. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Yasukatsu Matsushima, professor, Ryukoku University (partially overlaid with shot 7/ending with shot 8): "The remarks by the Takaichi administration carry militaristic undertones and are plunging Japan further into crisis. In fact, the 'survival threat' lies in the fact that the longer the Takaichi administration remains in power, the greater the risk gets for Japan's national survival. From an economic perspective, Japan is an island nation and must maintain friendly relations with other countries, particularly with China, which is one of Japan's most important trading partners. A peaceful environment must be maintained, especially given the many Chinese tourists visiting Japan. Therefore, I believe an apology should be issued as soon as possible." [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] FILE: Tokyo, Japan - November 2024: 7. Various of traffic, pedestrians [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] FILE: Tokyo, Japan - April 2024: 8. Various of cityscape [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]