Tokyo International News Agency

On the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the phrase 'party to war' trended as a flurry of posts emerged expressing concern that Japan might be unwittingly dragged into a conflict, with users demanding explanations from the government. The trigger was reports and information suggesting that fighter jets had taken off from US military bases in Japan to participate in attacks on other nations. Numerous anxious and angry posts poured in from users, saying things like, 'Won't attacks launched from US bases in Japan objectively make us a party to war?', 'It is shocking to realize we might have become a party to war before we even knew it,' and 'This could serve as a pretext for retaliatory attacks from Iran.' Furthermore, many voiced opinions demanding the cabinet's resignation or a shift in policy, arguing that 'this might be unconstitutional,' 'the government must thoroughly fulfill its accountability to the public,' and ...

An intense debate has erupted online over the dismantling of the "tent village," a well-known hub for protests against the construction of a new U.S. military base in Henoko, Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture. According to reports, members of the Anti-Helipad Base Joint Coalition voluntarily disassembled and temporarily removed the tents and display materials in preparation for an approaching typhoon. While the coalition has hinted at "restoring" the site once the severe weather clears, the metal frames of the tents have been left behind. This has sparked widespread speculation on social media over whether this constitutes a complete removal or merely a temporary evacuation. On the internet, many critics have pointed out that the tent village was "illegally installed" from the very beginning, with a wave of harsh comments demanding its permanent removal. Questions have also been raised regarding the timing of the dismantling. Some suspect it is a "disappe...