More than 260 protesters and people who lost relatives during the war gathered Friday in Tokyo to stage a march to protest politicians' visits to Yasukuni Shrine and demand that war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution be protected.
Politicians' visits to Yasukuni Shrine, which honors 2.5 million Japanese war dead, are regarded by other parts of Asia, including China and South Korea, as attempts to glorify Japan's past military aggressions.
The protesters' call comes at a time when the Self-Defense Forces have expanded their activities in recent years in support of the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.