Japanese media: Large-scale Japan-U.S. military exercises provoke protests in multiple locations in Japan

Reference News Network, October 20 Report According to Japan's "Akahata" on October 17, in response to the large-scale joint comprehensive exercise "Sword 27" scheduled to start on the 19th, there have been calls and protests across Japan demanding the cessation of the exercise.

On the 16th, the Okinawa Prefectural Committee of the Japanese Communist Party submitted a protest to Japan's Defense Minister Kōizumi Shinjirō at the Okinawa Defense Bureau.

Reports indicate that the protest emphasized that the incident involving the rape and murder of a woman by a U.S. military soldier at the Futenma base in Naha City has left the people of Okinawa in anger and grief, and such large-scale exercises must not be allowed to take place. The protest letter made the following demands: immediate cessation of the exercise; no training on public or private land; halt the deployment of missiles and militarization of the Sakishima Islands; close and remove the Futenma base to completely eliminate crimes by U.S. military personnel; and a thorough revision of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement.

The chairman of the Okinawa Prefectural Committee of the Japanese Communist Party, Akamine Masakatsu, harshly pointed out: “This is just like the eve of war. This move will escalate tensions with China and could turn Okinawa into a flashpoint for war.”

Additionally, according to "Akahata" on the 18th, on October 16, the Miyazaki Prefectural Committee of the Japanese Communist Party and the party's prefectural council group submitted a request to Miyazaki Governor Kōno Toshitsugu, demanding the cessation of the Japan-U.S. joint comprehensive exercise codenamed "Sword."

Reports indicate that in the request letter, the Japanese Communist Party expressed opposition to the exercise and pointed out that the policy of jointly promoting the "creation of a country capable of waging war" with the U.S. military violates the constitution. They argued that Japan should not fall into a "military confrontation with military" situation, but should play a role in building an East Asia region based on dialogue and cooperation through peaceful diplomacy.

Furthermore, according to Japan's "Mainichi Shimbun" on October 19, the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military are scheduled to conduct a joint military exercise codenamed "Sword" from the 19th to the 29th, primarily in Kyushu and the southwestern islands of Japan. This exercise covers new domains such as space, cyber, and electromagnetic waves, setting a historical scale record. As a countermeasure capability in response to emergencies, the long-range air-to-surface missile—the "Type 25 Ship-to-Ground Missile," which was deployed to the troops at the end of March this year, will be deployed for the first time outside its permanent base.

The "Sword" live-fire exercise alternates with command post exercises focused on simulations every other year. This year, approximately 45,000 personnel from the Japan Self-Defense Forces and about 12,000 from the U.S. military will participate. In addition to Australia and Canada, which have participated in previous years, five other countries including France, Germany, and the Netherlands will also join some exercise subjects for the first time.

Reports indicate that the exercise content includes landing and anti-landing operations, joint land-sea operations, and missile defense training, among others. Additionally, compared to the last live-fire exercise in 2024, this time new training subjects have been added, including intelligence sharing in the space domain and joint responses to cyberattacks and electromagnetic wave threats, making it the largest in the history of this series of exercises.

The "Type 25 Ship-to-Ground Missile," deployed at the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's Kengun Base in Kumamoto Prefecture, will have its launch vehicle moved from the base to the Ohnogahara training ground located at the border of Nagasaki and Saga Prefectures to verify the operation of the launch device and confirm the launch process. This equipment is operated solely by the Self-Defense Forces, and there will be no actual launches during the exercise.

In addition, the U.S. military will deploy the most advanced "Navy/Marine Corps Expeditionary Ship Intercept System" and "Integrated Air Defense System" for the first time on Yonaguni Island. On Ishigaki Island, in addition to the aforementioned two systems, the U.S. military will also deploy the "HIMARS" High Mobility Artillery Rocket System to verify the interoperability of equipment between Japan and the U.S.

Japan's Chief of Staff, Joint Staff, Uechi Hiroaki, stated at a regular press conference on the 9th: “This move is of great significance for enhancing the mobility deployment capabilities of both Japan and the U.S., as well as strengthening immediate response capabilities and interoperability. (This exercise) is close to the largest scale, reflecting both a sense of crisis and actual training needs.” (Translation/Chen Rui)