In the latest sign of Japan's military breaking out of its long-time self-imposed shell, about 20 uniformed, rifle-carrying soldiers, faces smeared with camouflage paint, marched through Tokyo's western neighborhoods of Nerima and Itabashi Tuesday morning as part of a training mission.

It was the first time in 42 years that Japanese troops openly marched through the capital, according to a spokesman for the Ground Self-Defense Forces. "Walking for a long distance carrying arms is important training. But we couldn't do it in Tokyo for a long time, because there was strong opposition from local residents," the spokesman told JRT.

Some residents tried to block the exercise, asking the Tokyo District Court for an injunction, but the court rejected the plea Monday.

"This is an attempt to get the public used to the presence of armed forces," Mitsuo Sato, leader of the Japan Peace Committee based in Tokyo, said in a phone interview after watching the exercise. "The Defense Ministry has said the training is to protect the country. But they don't need rifles to protect us," Mr. Sato said.

Post-war Japan retains a strong military allergy, and the absence of martial imagery in the country is striking, with uniformed soldiers rarely seen outside military bases or defense ministry offices. But Tuesday's exercise -- widely broadcast on national television -- comes at a time of growing popularity for the SDF, particularly after the military's role in disaster relief work after last year's massive earthquake and tsunami.