TOKYO -- Nearly 40,000 peace-seeking Japanese participated in a rally in a park in Tokyo on Constitution Memorial Day on Saturday, calling for honoring the country's pacifist constitution and opposition to war and arms expansion.

Many Japanese lawmakers, scholars and citizens were invited to speak at the rally, with many participants holding banners and placards such as "Oppose arms expansion" and "Love the Constitution and safeguard world peace!" to express their firm support for the concept of peace.

The current Constitution of Japan was enacted in 1947 and is known as the pacifist postwar constitution, in which Article 9 renounces war and bans the country from maintaining land, sea and air forces, as well as other war potential.

For decades, Article 9 has been a fundamental constraint on Japan's military endeavors. However, in recent years, the Japanese government has taken steps such as lifting the ban on collective self-defense and updating three security and defense-related documents, which have caused grave concern among the public.

Senior officials from opposition parties called for not allowing the Diet, the country's parliament, to propose constitutional amendments, while underscoring the need to protect peace, lives, livelihoods and human rights by utilizing the current constitution.

Tomoko Tamura, head of the Japanese Communist Party, pointed out in her speech that the Japanese government's series of actions have essentially incorporated the Self-Defense Forces into the US military command system, adding that Japan should promote peace diplomacy in East Asia free from war concerns in accordance with the Constitution and build a broader framework for dialogue and cooperation.

Ex-Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry official Shigeaki Koga said the world is undergoing profound changes and Japan should adhere to the spirit of peace embodied in its constitution. He stressed that Japan should break away from its dependence on certain countries and rebuild diplomatic relations based on people-to-people exchanges and understanding, noting that only through dialogue can confrontation be resolved and peace maintained.

Emeritus Manabu Sato of the University of Tokyo criticized the current Japanese government's military expansion policy as being contrary to the spirit of the Constitution and questioned the huge defense expenditure. He believes that war-renouncing Article 9 has brought long-term peace to Japan after the war, and the government should give priority to using resources for education, people's welfare and the improvement of social structure.

The rally attracted a large number of young people and families. A mother who brought her children to the rally told Xinhua: "I hope my children can grow up in an environment free from the threat of war. As a parent, I have the responsibility to pass on this concept."