Breaking with the tradition of political quietism, thousands gathered in Tokyo today to protest the dispatch of troops to Iraq. While the estimated number of 6,000 protesters pales in comparison to the droves that flooded the streets of New York City during the anti-war rally last February, it is a noticeable presence in an otherwise politically apathetic city.

Even as Colin Powell admits some doubt about the possibility that Iraq was hoarding weapons of mass destruction, Japan’s Self-Defense Forces are entering the political quagmire of Iraq and stationing ground troops in the region. The legality of this dispatch of troops to Iraq is questionable. Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution prohibits the dispatch of troops to a combat zone, and many argue that Iraq remains a combat zone even though the war is technically over. Noboru Minowa, a former Posts and Telecommunications Minister, is planning to file a lawsuit against the dispatch of troops on the basis that it violates the Constitution.

The chatter about Iraq on the news stations has grown increasingly sober and frequent in recent months as the nation prepares to become militarily involved with the American-led occupation in Iraq. As Prime Minister Koizumi drags an unwilling Japan into Iraq, the voice of popular dissent and public outrage is growing steadily louder. While we can only hope that at some point the voice will actually be heard, it is heartening to know that it is at least being articulated.

Mimi Hanaoka