Thousands of protestors in Japan have demonstrated against planned joint military exercises due to be held this week between Japanese and United States forces.

About five-thousand people are reported to have attended a rally, in the south-western city of Ebino, to express concern over updated guidelines on defence co-operation between Japan and the United States.

The guidelines are reported to call for Japan to take a more active military role in emergencies in the region, in cooperation with the United States.

The protestors also opposed the use of land on the island of Kyushu as a permanent military base.