Kodai Murata, a second lieutenant in Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), illegally broke into the Chinese embassy in Japan with a knife on March 24, 2026. Instead of reflecting on the SDF's mismanagement and loss of control, Japan continues to focus on fomenting external threats and accelerating military buildup.

It's no accident. Sanae Takaichi's distorted view of history and far-right stance on Taiwan question, along with the right-wing forces' efforts to hollow out the pacifist Constitution, brainwash the younger generation, and undermine the post-war order, all point to one conclusion: far-right ideologies are fueling the steady rise of "neo-militarism" in Japan's political and diplomatic landscape. This trend is now seeping into Japanese society, breeding extremist behavior.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the work of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, commonly known as the Tokyo Trials. Mei Ru'ao, the Chinese judge at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, once said: "Forgetting the sufferings of the past may cause a calamity in the future."

Eight decades later, this warning remains as relevant as ever. Only by safeguarding historical truth and upholding human conscience and justice with a common resolve can we eliminate the specter of militarism, and prevent human civilization from suffering once again from the tragedy of war.