[tomcat8] Tomcat: java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Invalid character found in method name. HTTP method names must be tokens

Answering this old question (for others which may help)

Configuring your httpd conf correctly will make the problem solved. Install any httpd server, if you don't have one.

Listing my config here.

[smilyface@box002 ~]$ cat /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf | grep shirts | grep -v "#"


        ProxyPass /shirts-service http://local.box002.com:16743/shirts-service
        ProxyPassReverse /shirts-service http://local.box002.com:16743/shirts-service
        ProxyPass /shirts http://local.box002.com:16443/shirts
        ProxyPassReverse /shirts http://local.box002.com:16443/shirts
        ...
        ...
        ...

edit the file as above and then restart httpd as below

[smilyface@box002 ~]$ sudo service httpd restart


And then request with with https will work without exception.
Also request with http will forward to https ! No worries.