A variety of events were held to mark National Foundation Day on Wednesday, with some choosing to celebrate the national holiday and others protesting the Self-Defense Forces dispatch to Iraq.
In Tokyo's Chuo Ward, around 500 people gathered for a meeting held by the Japanese Historical Council to discuss the retention of the Constitution's war-renouncing Article 9.
The group, which studies Japanese history, has held antiwar gatherings every year since 1967.
At the Meiji Shrine hall in Shibuya Ward, around 1,500 people participated in a ceremony to commemorate the foundation of Japan.
National Foundation Day commemorates the legendary enthronement of Japan's first monarch, Emperor Jimmu, in 660 B.C.
Critics associate the holiday with Japan's prewar nationalism, which revolved around the emperor system.