Japan Protests Mount Against Planned Constitution Reform
Protests grow in Japan as the government pushes to amend the pacifist constitution amid divided public opinion.
Protesters gather in Tokyo to oppose proposed constitutional changes and defend Japan’s pacifist framework. Photo: Foto: AFP
May 5, 2026 Hour: 2:26 am
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Public opposition grows as government advances changes to pacifist charter
Thousands of people across Japan have mobilized against the government’s stated intention to amend the country’s constitution, a move authorities present as necessary to address international threats but which has faced sustained public resistance.
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Recent surveys reflect divided opinion. While 57 percent of respondents support reviewing the constitution, 47 percent back implementing reforms. Despite this split, protests have intensified in recent months.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has reaffirmed her intention to move forward with constitutional changes “as quickly as possible.” Among the proposals is the inclusion of the Self-Defense Forces within the constitution’s pacifist clause. Speaking during the 79th anniversary of the constitution’s promulgation, Takaichi reiterated that making the Self-Defense Forces “a truly capable organization within the constitutional framework” was a central commitment of her electoral campaign.
In Tokyo, around 50,000 people gathered in a park to demand that the constitution be upheld and to express opposition to war. The current charter has remained unchanged since it came into force on May 3, 1947, and demonstrators described the government’s agenda as unacceptable.
Article 9 establishes Japan’s pacifist stance, declaring that the country renounces war as a sovereign right. The provision was introduced during the U.S. occupation led by Douglas MacArthur. Since 2018, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has also pursued additional objectives considered “very urgent” by Takaichi, including electoral district reform and the addition of an “emergency clause” to the constitution.
Text Reads: Japanese reject Prime Minister’s attempt to amend the Constitution
Thousands of Japanese protested the government’s plans to amend the constitution to address international threats. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is seeking to include the Self-Defense Forces in the pacifist clause of the constitution.đź”´ Around 50,000 people gathered in Tokyo to demand respect for the Japanese constitution, unchanged since 1947, and to express their opposition to war. The constitutional amendment requires a majority vote in the upper house of parliament.
Some protesters argue that the proposed reform reflects an alignment of Japan with the interests of U.S. President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo stated on social media that “this constitution, very much praised by General MacArthur in his memoirs, has remained the foundation of Japanese society for 79 years since its promulgation, without ever being amended.”
Demonstrations have continued to expand nationwide, with increasing participation in peaceful protests held since February. For any constitutional reform to pass, it would require majority approval in the Upper House, where the ruling party currently faces a disadvantage.
