With concern growing over a possible military clash between the U.S. and Iran, over 60 people staged anti-war protests in front of the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo (Tokyo’s Minato Ward) and the Prime Minister’s Office [Kantei] on the evening of Jan. 6.

The “Network Against Japan Arms Trade (NAJAT),” a civic group that advocates opposition against arms trade, called for participation via the internet and other tools.

The protesters held up signs saying “#No War with Iran” and “Peace to Iran,” and criticized the U.S.’s military action. They also protested the deployment of a Self-Defense Forces unit to the Middle East that the Abe cabinet approved at the end of last year.

“This not only involves the U.S. and Iran but will also have a significant impact on Japan,” said an 84-year-old man from Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture. “We must do everything possible to stop it from turning into a war.”