Peace activists protest SDF military parade

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Peace activists protest SDF military parade

A military parade by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces took place at the Ground SDF Asaka Base, north of Tokyo, on October 24 with U.S. military aircraft participating for the first time in SDF history. Peace organizations held a rally at locations surrounding the base in protest against the day's SDF event which was held to show off the tighter SDF integration with the U.S. forces.

At a rally in Tokyo's Nerima Ward, a woman with her three-year-old son said, "The noise is so scary." A 51-year-old woman said, "They are especially noisy today, and now I really understand the everyday world in Okinawa. I wonder why Japan with its war-renouncing Article 9 holds such a parade and exhibits its war readiness."

A protester at a rally in Asaka City in Saitama Prefecture said, "It is basically a Japan-U.S. military integration show." Another said, "There are many schools around the military post here. We are worried about the possible danger of accidents."

Prime Minister Kan Naoto reviewed the troops in which 3,800 personnel, 240 vehicles, and about 60 aircraft were taking part with three F16 fighter jets assigned to the U.S. Air Force Misawa Base (Aomori Pref.) and three UH60 helicopters based at the U.S. Army Camp Zama (Kanagawa Pref.) flying over the SDF garrison to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the revision of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty.

In his instructions given to SDF members, Kan indicated a sense of vigilance against China and North Korea by stating, "As North Korea may be developing missiles and nuclear weapons and as China is modernizing its military capability and activating maritime operations, we are under an increasingly harsh security environment."

Touching upon the 50^th anniversary of the revised-military treaty, he expressed his intention to deepen the bilateral alliance step by step in a form appropriate to the 21^st century. He also stated, "Japan will boldly engage in further international activities," while citing as examples the SDF participation in U.N. peacekeeping operations and the SDF deployment to the sea off Somalia.

- Akahata, October 25, 2010