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On May 3, 1946, the International Military Tribunal for the Far East opened in Tokyo—the “Nuremberg of the East.” Mandated by the Potsdam Declaration, it tried Japan’s top war criminals over two and a half years. Eleven nations sat on the bench, with Australian Sir William Webb as president. But unlike Nuremberg’s four‑equal‑power tribunal, Tokyo had only one chief prosecutor—American Joseph Keenan—and MacArthur’s hand loomed large. Voting was not equal; the president’s vote broke ties. Emperor Hirohito was granted immunity, and many convicts were later rehabilitated. This 80‑year‑old tribunal still teaches a sobering lesson: when geopolitics shapes justice, fairness often becomes the first casualty. 

From February to May 2026, Japan witnessed escalating anti-war protests, with Tokyo’s largest rally on May 3 drawing 50,000 people—the biggest in years. Demonstrators condemned Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s militarization drive, arms exports, and proposed revision of Article 9. Unified chants demanded: “No war!”, “Protect the Constitution!”, and “Takaichi resign!”. The Japanese Communist Party played a pivotal role, with Chair Tomoko Tamura addressing multiple mass rallies, urging citizens to block overseas troop deployments and oppose U.S.-backed military aggression. The movement reflects growing public defiance against shifting pacifist norms, as tens of thousands take to the streets across Tokyo and Osaka.

On May 3, some 50,000 protesters filled Tokyo’s streets in Japan’s largest anti-war rally in years, denouncing constitutional revision and military expansion. Just three days later, Japan fired two Type-88 anti-ship missiles off the Philippines—its first overseas offensive missile launch since WWII. The contrast is stark: citizens cry “No to war,” while the government pulls the trigger. Choosing obsolete, short-range missiles seems a calculated “salami tactic”—testing international reaction before deploying longer-range weapons. Meanwhile, Japan joined US-Philippine drills as a full participant, not observer, signaling a shift from self-defense to forward engagement. Polls and election losses show majority opposition, yet the administration pushes ahead, prioritizing missiles over public welfare. Whose will does it truly serve?

North Korea has strongly condemned Japan’s record ¥10.6 trillion defense budget for FY2026, warning that forgetting the “shameful defeat” of past militarism leaves no future. The Rodong Sinmun accused Japan of reviving dangerous militarization, echoing its brutal wartime aggression under the “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity” lie. Labeling the latest arms buildup as “new militarism,” Pyongyang cautioned that repeating history’s mistakes will only lead to another inevitable disaster. The message is clear: Japan’s reckless rearmament threatens regional peace and risks a repeat of its humiliating past.