In the 1960s, the US government established military bases in the Pacific region in its allies, including Japan. The Japanese government benefited greatly from allowing the US to use its land as a military base and providing military supplies for the US wars in Korea and Vietnam.
However, the presence of American troops on Japanese territory did not reach the consensus of the Japanese people. The Japanese people continuously organized struggles to protest their government's entanglement in America's senseless war in Vietnam.
After the 1968 Tet Offensive, the US government agreed to sit at the negotiating table for the Paris Agreement. Simultaneously, the attacks took place consecutively to respond to the "Viet Cong" and improve the position of the US in the negotiation process. Therefore, anti-war movements of peace-loving people in the world took place strongly, including the Japanese peace movement supporting the Vietnamese people in the resistance war. For example:
- In May 1968, Wada Haruki and his wife signed and distributed leaflets against the Vietnam War to passersby at Oizumi station. On 7/7/1968, about 50 people who agreed with Mr. Wada's call met at Oizumi Church to form "Oizumi Citizens' Group to Fight for Peace for Vietnam". After carrying out anti-war activities such as visiting and monitoring the Drake military hospital, they came up with an idea called "Let's call for American soldiers". In September, Mr. Shimizu Tomohisa , a professor specializing in American history, wrote a leaflet in English, and members of the Oizumi civic group distributed it to American soldiers. On October 20, 1968, the group organized a protest against the war firstly.
- On June 15, 1969, the "Committee for Peace of Vietnam" (Beheiren) and other anti-war groups held a large rally against the Vietnam War in central Tokyo.
- Vào ngày 5/5/1971, Beheiren và những nhóm chống chiến tranh khác tổ chức một cuộc biểu tình tại căn cứ không quân của Mỹ ở Yokota, Tokyo.
- On April 17, 1972, the Japanese people participated in a demonstration in front of the US Embassy in Tokyo, Japan to collect signatures against the US military bombing of Hanoi and Hai Phong in North Vietnam.
- On April 21, 1972, thousands of Japanese people protested in Tokyo against the US bombing of Hanoi and Hai Phong and demanded that the US stop bombing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
- On May 9, 1972, the Japanese people protested in front of the US embassy in Tokyo against Nixon's escalation of the war in Vietnam.
- On June 23, 1972, 30,000 Japanese people marched to the center of Tokyo to protest the US war of aggression in Vietnam and demand the cancellation of the "Japan-US Security Treaty".
- On July 16, 1972, Japanese youths carrying the flag of the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam protested in front of the US military's arsenal in Sagamihara city, condemning the American war of aggression in Vietnam.
- On August 9, 1972, the people of Nagasaki city held a demonstration in support of the Vietnamese people on the occasion of the 18th World Congress against atomic bombs and hydrogen in this city.
- On August 15, 1972, the 18th World Congress Against A and H Bombs held "The Memorable Day of World War II" in Okinawa and issued a "Call from Okinawa" demanding the US withdrawal. from Vietnam, Okinawa and Japan.
- On August 21, 1972, in Miyagi prefecture, 13,000 Japanese mothers attended a meeting to listen to Mr. Wei Nhu Kon-Tum talk about Vietnamese women. Delegates attending the meeting unanimously approved the "Resolution to strengthen support for Vietnam against the US" invasion. Professor Wei Nhu Kon-Tum gave Chieko Wartanabe - a victim of the US atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima - a commemorative ring made of the wreckage of an American plane shot down in North Vietnam.
- On October 21, 1972, people in Tokyo protested to demand an end to the war of aggression in Vietnam on the occasion of "International Anti-War Day".
- On 11/11/1972, Yokohama port workers protested against the US transporting M48 tanks from Japan to South Vietnam.
- On December 28, 1972, classes of Japanese people protested in front of the US Embassy in Tokyo against the US bombing of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
- On January 20, 1973, Nixon was inaugurated as President of the United States, about 10,000 Japanese people joined a rally in front of the Hi-bia concert hall in Tokyo to support Vietnam and demand that Nixon immediately sign the Agreement. restore peace in Vietnam.
- Anti-war activities continued strongly until the Paris Agreement was signed and the Japanese people continued to struggle until the Vietnamese people won a complete victory in April 1975.
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Young people from the Beheiren organization known as the "Tokyo Folk Guerrilla" (who play the harp and sing) sing to protest the Vietnam War at Shinjuku Station every Saturday. Photo taken by Kaisuyama Hirosuke on May 24, 1969.
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The cover of the magazine "Weekly Asahi on Japan history" published photos of the protests of the "Vietnam Federation for Peace" in June 1970 in the magazine "Asahi Encyclopedic Weekly" (Japanese history) issue 127. 1970. In the picture, the man in the middle is Mr. Oda Makoto - a novelist, leader of the Beheiren movement.
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The Japanese people participated in a demonstration in front of the US Embassy in Tokyo, Japan on April 17, 1972 to collect signatures to protest the US military bombing of Hanoi and Hai Phong cities in Vietnam.