3 arrested at anti-imperial system rallies in Tokyo

Royalty is an unnecessary vestige of a time when people believed the world was flat. Good on the protesters for making themselves heard.

I wonder what specifically they did to "obstruct police officers"? I assume that now they've been arrested, the Japanese media will be following up by telling us about the filing of formal charges, their pleas, bail conditions, comments from their lawyers, etc. Right?

It's encouraging to see groups like this making a noise against useless narcissistic ceremonies like this.

sorry, this is democracy buddy....

Chip Star - Royalty is an unnecessary vestige of a time when people believed the world was flat. Good on the protesters for making themselves heard

Unfortunately, there are still many people who believe the earth is flat. There are also even more people who believe in an interventionist god.

They were probably upset French wines was served with Japanese washoku instead of Japanese sake (or even Japanese wines). There are some fantastic white and rose style wines being produced by Japanese wine makers here (when the weather doesn't stuff them up).

Up to 26,000 police were mobilized from across the country to guard the capital.

Sounds like many places were quite vulnerable with all the police focused on one place.

Also, I think those protesters had a valid point as to the separation of state and religion :

"(The ceremony) gives the impression that the emperor is the head of state. We cannot allow (the rite) because it violates the constitutional separation of state and religion,"

I mean I am all for the change, but.......

The protesters weren't exactly raining on the Emperor's parade, but nipping undesirable thoughts in the bud is an instinctive, culturally and historically well-established precautionary measure taken by skittish authoritarians in the Land of (Rei)Wa.

The three were arrested on suspicion of obstructing officers from performing their duty after clashing with riot police deployed to the area, the police said.

Straight from the PRC book of how to deal with dissent.

Japan is a pseudo-democracy at best if this kind of small scale protest is quashed by law enforcement.

So much for all those who keep saying all Japanese people are "like sheep", never protest or oppose authorities.

The sad thing being given the re-education happening in schools right now, these beautiful expressions of freedom might become a thing of the past. An event that contravenes the constitution and the opposition is cricket sounds. Why pretend there's democracy in the first place?

Mean while, right wing anti-Korean groups that scream hate speech, have been getting a pass for yrs in Korean shopping enclaves. Where is the parity?

Well, this is something not at all broadcast by Japanese news. This article is the first time I heard about this.

Here it is:

I think he meant on the TV. The printed word is not "broadcast". Relegating such news to the printed word is a form of censorship. This is because more citizens get their news from the TV and kids don't read the papers.

If they were not harming anybody, I say good on them! "obstructing police" means what exactly? Again, if no harm was done, then good! Stand up to this useless tripe.

Hubert GulletchipToday  10:40 am JST

If they were not harming anybody, I say good on them! "obstructing police" means what exactly? Again, if no harm was done, then good! Stand up to this useless tripe.

by the constitution written by american at the end of the war, the Japanese circus democracy begun.

it never exist in the Japanese mind. democracy is a concept from the West.

Um, that guy does know that the emperor is the head of state right? He has no reserve executive power, but just like karl Gustav of Sweden, he acts as the figurehead of symbol of his country. Abe is the head of govt (political leader).

I've never understood why Japan has an Emperor but doesn't have an empire. Shouldn't he just be the King?

I've never understood why Japan has an Emperor but doesn't have an empire. Shouldn't he just be the King?

Well, they had an empire before, but that ended. I suppose the title in English just stuck. How do you want to translate "tenno" anyway?

Downvote a factual statement. Wow

The Emperor is the visible embodiment of the Japanese people.

fgm:

The Emperor is the visible embodiment of the Japanese people.

Visibie embodiment? err... ok....

zichi:

Japan has an emperor because he descended from god

I thought the dad of the previous emperor renounced the god status? What happened?

and is the highest rank even above a king. Some kings and queens have been emperors too. None of which I actually believe.

I thought emperors are elected/selected/self-declared rulers of empires and unlike kings do not come from one bloodline (look at the long strings of Roman emperors). Has that definition changed?

The Japanese have an emperor because they believe he descended from a god.

I pointed out that that is not the definition of "emperor" in English...