Representatives of groups opposing the upcoming Japan-US joint military exercise Keen Sword 27, along with prefectural assembly members, submit a petition addressed to Oita Governor Sato on October 15, 2026 at the prefectural government office, calling for the cancellation of the exercise scheduled to begin on October 19, 2026. Photo: Screenshot of Oita Asahi Broadcasting

The US and Japan are set to launch the large-scale "Keen Sword 27" military exercise on Monday amid protests in several parts of Japan, with a Chinese expert warning that the deployment of long-range missiles, coupled with an emphasis on their ability to strike targets along China's coast, constitutes a continued provocation and heightens the risk of further destabilizing the region.

The field-training exercise will run through October 29 at Self-Defense Forces facilities and other locations across Japan, involving about 45,000 Japanese personnel and 12,000 US troops, Kyodo News reported on Saturday. Seven other countries will also participate, including five taking part for the first time, among them France and Germany.

Notably, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's Type-25 surface-to-ship missile will be deployed for training away from its base for the first time since entering service in March, the Japanese media report said. 

Launchers and other equipment for the Type-25 missile left Camp Kengun in Kumamoto on Sunday for the Onohara training area spanning Nagasaki and Saga prefectures, Kobe Shimbun reported. With a range of about 1,000 kilometers, the domestically developed missile can reach parts of China's mainland coast, according to the report.

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's Type 25 HVGP (Hyper Velocity Gliding Projectile) takes part in the live-firing exercise "Fuji Comprehensive Firepower Exercise 2026" at the Higashi Fuji training field in Shizuoka-prefecture, Japan on May 7, 2026. Photo: VCG

The exercise comes at a sensitive time amid deteriorating China-Japan relations, Lü Chao, an expert on East Asian studies and a professor at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday.

The deployment of the Type-25 to training grounds in areas including Nagasaki, coupled with an emphasis on its capability to strike targets in China, amounts to a clear provocation, Lü said.

The latest military provocation comes as Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has sent a ritual offering to the notorious Yasukuni Shrine in her capacity as prime minister, drawing strong condemnation from the Chinese Embassy in Japan on Saturday.

The US and Japan are creating greater instability in the Asia-Pacific, he said, adding that the involvement of NATO members makes the exercise even more provocative and dangerous.

Opposition to the drills has emerged in several Japanese communities concerned about their safety. Asahi Shimbun reported on Sunday that a residents' group submitted requests to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's Tsuiki Air Base in Fukuoka Prefecture and the Defense Ministry on October 13, calling for the exercise to be canceled.

The group, which opposes the use of Tsuiki Air Base as a US military base, warned that extending the runway to 2,700 meters to accommodate large transport aircraft and fighter jets could turn the facility into a key launch site for US military operations. The group also opposed the use of Kitakyushu Airport for military purposes during the exercise, saying the move would put surrounding communities at risk and were unacceptable.

In Miyakojima, Okinawa Prefecture, local residents voiced concerns and objections a public meeting at city hall on Saturday, Miyako Shinpo reported. Their concerns included Osprey aircraft flying around during the exercise, possible crimes and accidents involving US military personnel stationed in Japan, and potential health effects from electromagnetic emissions during the drills. Some opposed the exercise itself.

"Strengthening deterrence will only fuel an arms race, provoke other countries and increase the risk of conflict," a male resident of the city's Ueno area said, according to the newspaper.

He warned that residents might never be able to return home if the island became a battlefield. He called for greater attention to education, welfare and diplomacy rather than a military buildup.

In Oita Prefecture, another location for the exercise, groups opposed to the drills and prefectural assembly members urged the prefectural government to ask Tokyo to cancel them, Oita Asahi Broadcasting reported on Thursday. They cited the arrest of a US Marine over an alleged robbery and murder in Okinawa this month and urged the prefecture to convey residents' concerns to the central government.

The protests also come as US warships arrive in Japan for the exercise. USNI News, the news service of the US Naval Institute, reported on Friday that the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, cruiser USS Chosin and destroyer USS Decatur had docked at Yokosuka ahead of their participation in "Keen Sword 27."

The report said the visit came amid a chill in US-Japan relations following the arrest of the Okinawa-based Marine for the alleged robbery and murder of a Japanese woman.

Lü said military collusion between the US and Japan has a long history, but the Okinawa case has drawn renewed public attention and anger in Japan.

The Takaichi administration is ignoring that the public anger while pressing ahead with high-profile joint drills, Lü said. This shows its disregard for Japan's national interests and public concerns as it seeks to please Washington and use US backing to project military power in the Asia-Pacific, he said.

Such an approach has angered people in Japan and elsewhere in Asia, Lü added.