THE Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute (ACPSSI) and allied anti-war groups warned against what they described as the accelerating remilitarization of Japan, timing the warning with the 84th anniversary of the Bataan Death March.
During a symposium in Manila over the weekend, the group unveiled the “Stop Japan Militarization Campaign,” citing recent defense policies, territorial posturing and what it characterized as emerging nuclear rhetoric from Tokyo.
In its presentation, the ACPSSI referenced a Dec. 19, 2025, report by Asahi Shimbun quoting “an official who advises Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi” as saying Japan should possess nuclear weapons. The think tank said Japan maintains an estimated 44.4 tons of plutonium, which it claimed could be converted into as many as 5,500 nuclear bombs.
On April 17, 1942, around 66,000 Filipino and American prisoners of war reached Camp O’Donnell in Tarlac after a brutal forced march under Japanese forces during World War II.
“Filipinos must be reminded of the horrors of war that imperialist powers imposed on the world in World War II,” the group said, citing atrocities such as the massacre of civilians in Intramuros and the destruction of Manila during the war.
The ACPSSI also pointed to Japan’s record 8.9-trillion-yen (about $58 billion) defense budget for 2026 — a 9.4-percent increase from the previous year — arguing that it runs contrary to Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, which renounces war as a sovereign right and limits the maintenance of military forces with offensive capabilities.
The group further cited Japan’s statements on Taiwan and plans to deploy surface-to-air missile systems on Yonaguni Island, approximately 110 kilometers from Taiwan, saying these moves could escalate regional tensions.
ACPSSI linked Japan’s military buildup to what it described as a broader United States strategy to contain China, referencing the 2011 “Pivot to Asia” under Barack Obama and the 2025 US National Security Strategy, which it said places greater responsibility on regional allies for their own defense.
The think tank noted domestic opposition within Japan, citing reports that around 30,000 Japanese citizens rallied near parliament in Tokyo on April 9, protesting proposed revisions to the pacifist constitution.
As part of the campaign, organizers said they plan to conduct seminars, rallies and motorcades in key Philippine cities, while coordinating with anti-war organizations across Southeast Asia. The group said it would also oppose the presence of US military facilities in the Philippines, arguing that these violate the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality framework.
ACPSSI said it has been running an information drive since 2023 against the presence of nine US military sites in the country and the deployment of what it described as offensive missile systems.
