Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Representatives from around 30 peace and religious organizations protested against Japan’s long-range missile construction program in front of the headquarters of the Mitsubishi Group in Tokyo on Tuesday.

A similar protest occurred in front of the Komaki Kita Kojo factory near Nagoya, the site for manufacturing the guided missiles with a range of 1,000 km.
Demonstrators said Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is involved in the multi-national joint missile development.

The Japanese government plans to increase its defense capability with more than 1,500 missiles over ten years. These will be in addition to the program to purchase US Tomahawk missiles, which will likely be deployed in the Nansei Islands close to China.

The protesters said they were worried about the potential consequences for civilian populations in the event of a conflict with China or North Korea.

The demonstrators said the missile program goes against the pacifist doctrine of the Japanese Constitution.