Hello and welcome to the panel discussion of World Today.
I'm Dinghen in Beijing.
Japan is witnessing its largest anti-war protests in decades.
Since coming to power, Prime Minister Sanai Takeuchi has taken major steps away from Japan's post-war pacifism,
lifting long-standing restrictions on lethal weapons exports and actively
seeking political support for revising the constitution.
As a result, a sentiment against remilitarization is gaining momentum in Japan.
In late February, an estimated 3,600 people demonstrated outside Japan's parliament
to oppose attempts to revise the constitution.
In mid-April, the number of protests swelled to 36,000.
The recent waves of protests saw an estimated 50,000 participants.
How worrisome is Japan's deviation from pacifism under Takaichi?
How far will Tokyo go in that direction?
These questions and much more in this edition of the program.
To listen to this episode again or to catch up on previous episodes,
you can download our podcast by searching World Today.
So joining us now on the line are Professor Aina Rosario Malindogoy,
Director and Vice President for External Affairs of Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute,
Li Pei Mei, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the International Islamic University in Malaysia,
and Zoum Ahmed Khan, Research Fellow at the Center for China and Globalization.