Expressing solidarity at a time of employment crisis, nearly 36,000 regular and temporary workers turned out Wednesday for the 80th annual May Day rally organized by the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park.

"We're now at a crucial moment to figure out whether we can have hope in Japan's future," Tsuyoshi Takagi, head of Rengo, Japan's largest union group, declared to the gathering. "In order to change Japan, regime change is essential."

He noted the lack of a social safety net was only fueling anxiety and insecurity about employment.