In a significant display of public dissent, approximately 100 Japanese citizens gathered outside the Prime Minister’s official residence in Tokyo on Saturday evening, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The protestors, armed with banners and chanting slogans such as ‘Takaichi step down’ and ‘Those who cannot conduct diplomacy are unfit to be prime minister,’ voiced their strong disapproval of Takaichi’s recent controversial statements regarding Taiwan. During a Diet meeting on November 7, Takaichi suggested that a potential military conflict involving Taiwan and the Chinese mainland could pose a ‘survival-threatening situation’ for Japan, potentially justifying the use of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces under the right of collective self-defense. Despite widespread criticism, Takaichi has refused to retract her comments, asserting that they align with the government’s longstanding position. In response, Chinese Ambassador to Japan Wu Jianghao met with Japan’s Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Takehiro Funakoshi to formally protest Takaichi’s remarks, underscoring the diplomatic tensions they have ignited.