In April, large-scale anti-militarization protests took place in Japan, reflecting heightened mobilisation in response to the government’s renewed push to revise the constitution, particularly Article 9 (which renounces war and prohibits maintaining offensive military forces), and expand the country’s defence policy. Demonstrations drew tens of thousands of participants, including approximately 36,000 outside the National Diet (parliament) on 19 April, and were reported in multiple locations nationwide. The protests followed major policy shifts, including the removal of restrictions on arms exports on 21 April, and reflect rising public concern that Japan is moving away from its post-World War II pacifist identity. In a context where large-scale protests on constitutional issues are rare, the scale and generational breadth of participation—including by younger citizens—suggest an intensification of civic engagement and contestation over Japan’s constitutional framework and security policy. 

Sources:  The Guardian, The Washington Post, The Asahi Shimbun, BBC News 

On 8 February, Japan held snap elections for all 465 seats in the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the National Diet. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), led by Sanae Takaichi, won 316 seats (68.0 per cent), securing a two-thirds supermajority. The Centrist Reform Alliance won 49 seats, followed by the Japan Innovation party with 36 and the Democratic Party for the People with 28. Voter turnout was 56.3 per cent, up from 53.9 per cent in the previous election. Although a record 313 women candidates contested the election, women’s representation decreased slightly, with 68 women elected (14.6 per cent), compared to 72 (15.5 per cent) in the 2024 election. No major legal challenges to the results were reported.

Sources: IPU Parline, CSIS, The Japan Times 

On 28 November, the Tokyo High Court ruled that Japan’s ban on same-sex marriage is constitutional, marking a setback for marriage equality. The decision is the final ruling among six high court cases filed between 2019 and 2021. The latest ruling deviates from five previous high court verdicts across the country which had deemed the ban as unconstitutional and intensified discussions regarding the legalization of same-sex marriage. The six consolidated cases are now expected to go to the Supreme Court, with a final decision expected by next year. Rights experts continue to urge the government to resolve the issue through legislation, as the cases undergo further legal review.  

Sources: The Mainichi, BBC News, International IDEA (1), International IDEA (2), Amnesty International 

On 21 October, Sanae Takaichi of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was elected by both chambers of the National Diet (parliament) as Japan’s first woman to serve as Prime Minister. Takaichi secured 237 votes out of 465 in the lower house and 125 of 246 votes in the upper house runoff. Takaichi had been appointed president of the LDP on 4 October, following Shigeru Ishiba's resignation in September after recent election losses. Takaichi now leads a minority government, formed as part of a new coalition with the Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party). While her victory represents a significant milestone in gender representation, political experts remain uncertain whether her conservative ideology will enhance women’s political empowerment. Takaichi’s new 19-member cabinet remains dominated by men, with two women alongside herself, including Satsuki Katayama, Japan’s first woman serving as Finance Minister.

Sources: The Japan Times, Reuters, The Guardian, European Parliament