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Japan’s Gen Z protests feature K-pop tunes, light sticks

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Japan's Gen Z protests feature K-pop tunes, light sticks

Across Japan, a growing number of people from the MZ generation (born between the 1980s and early 2000s) are taking to the streets with light sticks to defend the country’s constitution. Inspired by Korea’s protest culture — where K-pop songs and idol light sticks are common — so-called “light stick protests” are spreading in Japan as a social phenomenon.

Japanese newspapers Asahi Shimbun and Mainichi Shimbun on Monday reported on a rally attended my around 50,000 people on Constitution Memorial Day the previous day at Tokyo’s Rinkai Disaster Prevention Park. The protest was staged as an effort to protect Japan’s constitution, according to reports. With large crowds and an upbeat atmosphere, the event resembled a festival. Participants chanted slogans such as “Protect the Constitution” and “Quit, quit, (Sanae) Takaichi government,” set to K-pop group KARA’s hit song “Mister.”

K-pop has become an essential element in recent protests across Japan. At rallies held on April 8 and April 19 in front of Japan’s National Diet Building, K-pop music played continuously, creating a concert-like atmosphere. Protesters chanted phrases like “Stop harassing the Constitution” and “Protect Japan’s Constitution” to the beat of aespa’s song “Whiplash.”

The trend is not limited to Tokyo. On the evening of April 26, a rally called “No War! YES Article 9 Joint Action Osaka Penlight (Light Stick) Gathering” was held at Osaka Station. There, the Korean lyrics of Girls’ Generation’s “Into the New World” echoed through the plaza. The song became symbolic of youth protests in Korea after students at Ewha Womans University sang it during a 2016 campus occupation, and it has since become a staple at Japanese demonstrations as well.

A series of recent anti-government protests in Japan were triggered by events including the Feb. 9 lower house election and the March 19 Japan-U.S. summit. After securing a landslide victory, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed strong support for constitutional revision. At the same time, discussions over dispatching Japanese defense forces to the Strait of Hormuz amid tensions in the Middle East heightened public concern about preserving Japan’s pacifist identity.

K-pop has played a key role in drawing young Japanese protesters to these demonstrations. Many posts on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) encourage participants to bring light sticks, signaling that anyone can join casually, as if supporting their favorite idols. A self-employed man in his 30s who attended an April 8 rally near the National Diet Building said, “In Japan, there’s usually a high barrier to participation for people in their 20s and 30s, but many came out voluntarily with light sticks.” A woman in her 20s who attended the Osaka rally told Asahi that the presence of participants drawing or knitting made it easier for others to join without pressure.

The flags seen at these protests also evoke Korean demonstrations. At the April 8 rally, banners featured fictional group names such as “Union of People Who Just Add to the Crowd,” “Alliance of People Who Struggle in Crowds” and “Association of Low-Stamina People Against War.” These playful names reflect the idea of ordinary citizens lending their presence to social causes. Mainichi noted that many participants were inspired by Korean civic movements, and that such flags demonstrate how individuals not affiliated with formal organizations can still participate without feeling intimidated.

submitted by /u/coinfwip4
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