Sometimes it is good to look at national issues from a local perspective. In regard to the Abe administration’s move toward recognizing Japan’s right of collective defense (a major change in the interpretation of Japan’s pacifist constitution), at least 157 regional assemblies in Japan have passed resolutions in opposition or calling upon the government to deliberate carefully:
http://www.jcp.or.jp/akahata/aik14/2014-06-30/2014063001_03_1.html
The article I’m introducing is from the Akahata, which is put out by the Communist Party, but the same fact was conveyed on NHK’s evening news last night. It seems, though, that none of Kumamoto’s regional assemblies have passed such a resolution.
There has been some protest, however. Here’s an Asahi article, with video, that describes one such protest in downtown Kumamoto:
http://www.asahi.com/articles/ASG5K5KJPG5KTIPE010.html
If you are interested in this issue, you may be interested in something I wrote on my own Facebook page about the self-immolation protest that occurred in Tokyo on Sunday:
https://www.facebook.com/kirk.masden/posts/10154291534875655
