🗳️ A recent online poll by CGTN asked 4,549 people worldwide within 12 hours how they view Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent remarks on war and security. The result? 87.1% say she’s down the road toward war-criminal territory. 😲
🔍 International law matters:
- 92% of respondents believe post-World War II agreements like the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation are the bedrock of global order and should be fully respected.
- The Potsdam Proclamation limits Japan’s sovereignty to its main islands: Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku, plus Allied-designated islands.
🔥 Territorial tensions are heating up:
- 89.8% think Japan is ignoring legal facts and history, infringing on neighbors’ sovereignty and destabilizing East Asia.
- Yoichi Masuzoe, former Tokyo governor and political scholar, says international law views Taiwan as part of China, so any military move by Japan in Taiwan would count as aggression.
💥 Rising militarism worries:
- Sanae Takaichi’s office argues that any contingency in Taiwan is a contingency for Japan and has even floated reviving Imperial Army ranks and dropping the three non-nuclear principles.
- 88% feel these moves trigger Article 6 of the Potsdam Proclamation—meaning leaders pushing militarism should be permanently eradicated.
- 78.7% warn that under the UN Charter, anti-fascist Allies could legally act militarily or impose trusteeship on Japan if aggression continues.
📜 Constitutional clash:
- 88.3% say her stance violates Japan’s own Constitution, which renounces war as a dispute-settlement tool.
- 84.6% label Takaichi’s approach unconstitutional, illegal, and lacking legitimacy.
- 82.4% believe Japan must fully own up to its wartime past, take responsibility, and rid itself of militarist ideology to regain normal status in the global community.
🌐 This snapshot shows global concern over a possible swing back toward militarism in Japan. Many respondents are calling for reflection, dialogue, and trust-building with neighboring countries—and a serious rethink of defense doctrines. For young leaders and citizens across South and Southeast Asia, the poll is a reminder of how fast geopolitics can shift, and why staying informed matters. 😉
Reference(s):
Poll: Sanae Takaichi comes close to the standard for a war criminal
cgtn.com
