Newsletter No.112 2014.12.24
ronniandpopoki (at) gmail.com
http://popoki.cruisejapan.com/index_e.html
http://popoki.cruisejapan.com

Happy Holidays from Popoki!
Whatever your beliefs and special days might be, we hope you can spend them inpeace with those you love.

Popoki’s Peace Book 3!
You can get copies of the third book in the Popoki’s Peace Book series,
Popoki, What Color is Genki? Popoki’s Peace Book 3 at your local bookstore(in Japan), from the publisher Epic (https://bookway.jp/epic/),
at the Kobe YMCA or from the Popoki Peace Project! We lookforward to your orders and comments.
Pieces of Peace
One of Popoki’s friends, Ana-nyan, sent the following piece of peace:“This semester, I forced myself into situations of interest for me, eventhough I knew it would be challenging. My journey of fulfilling somethingwhich seemed an impossible feat, had really helped me to realize how
strong I can be if I only challenge myself. I learned that first andforemost, I must believe in myself, in order for me to persevere until atask was completed. Having faith in my potential was a critical factor in
helping me to persevere and work hard. So, I guess the lesson here forme is: even if no one else believed in my potential, believing in myself was enough forme to pursue my interests and persevering until the task was completed.”
What sort of ‘peace’ did you encounter today? Please contribute a bit of peace! Please
let us know by sending a message to Popoki’s e-mail.
Thank you for your continuing help!

Popoki’s Friendship Story – Our Peace Journey Born out of
the Great Northeastern Japan Earthquake is getting agood reception, thanks to help from his friends. Please
help to let more people know! More information about thebook at: http://popoki.cruisejapan.com/monogatari.html* You can purchase a copy at the Kobe YMCA too!

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1This is the last Popoki News of 2014.
Thank you for a great year!
We hope to see you next year, too!

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Ronyan’s Adventures (2)RonyanIn last month’s issue of ‘Popoki News’, I focused on war experiences in Palau, but alsomentioned that when I asked people if things had gotten better in these thirty years, nobody
said ‘yes’. Those answers were made thoughtfully in the context of conversations aboutchanges since I had last visited Palau. I received a comment from a Palauan friend thatthese negative responses were overstated, not scientific, and reflect badly on Palau. I
appreciate the criticism and would like to take this opportunity to respond.
Let me begin by reassuring her that my purpose was not to criticize Palau or portray it ina bad light. Like most people, I am concerned about Palau’s future, just as I am concerned
about the future of other countries in the world and believe that the amount of global time,money, energy and intellect going into fighting one another takes away from the resourcesthat could otherwise be used to address issues of development, environmental degradation,
poverty, and disaster. It is a difficult time in history, and I think that in some ways the replies
to my questions reflect this challenging time. They do not mean that Palau is not stepping up
to meet those challenges.
There are of course other reasons for the lack of enthusiastic and positive responses.
Perhaps the most significant relates to the fact that the most important things are thosewhich are hard to see. Often it is only after they are gone that we realize their importance.
This makes it is easier to see the things that have been lost rather than the improvementsthat have been made. For example, people complained about the number of cars andcrowded roads in Koror, but probably nobody wants to go back to not having very many cars.
Changes, and often good changes, have certainly occurred, but they are not necessarily
happening at the pace or in the ways most desired by the people with whom I spoke.
Among the most important and positive changes in these thirty-some years are theadoption of a nuclear-free constitution (1980), the ending of the American Trusteeship andthe establishment of a new relationship of independence in free association with the UnitedStates (1994). The United States made signing the Compact of Free Association contingent
on changing the nuclear-free clauses of Palau’s Constitution. Those who remember thattime know there was a terrible struggle between those who wanted to keep the Constitution
and those who wanted to change it, but today it is not discussed or taught in schools, somany people do not know much about it. Roman Bedor, a lawyer who worked energeticallyto protect the Constitution, has decided to write a history of that time, and his book should beout soon. He told me, “I want the young people to know their own history, including that of
the struggle.” It is still very difficult to talk about that time. I asked Roman if he was afraid,
even after all these years. He said that he thought it would be all right, and that in any event
it is a necessary thing to do. I admire his courage and commitment. I also appreciate thatwithout social changes, it would still be impossible to discuss this difficult era in Palauan
history. A critical understanding of history is essential for building a peaceful and harmonious
society. Perhaps the rest of the world will be able to learn from Palau’s example.
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3The changes in technology andcommunications that have taken place overthe past thirty years have changed the lives ofall people on the planet. Palau has benefited
from many of those changes, but change
always comes with a cost. For Palau, likemany countries, it is a challenge to find theright balance between sustainability anddevelopment. Palau is a very small island
country whose most important resources are
the land, ocean, and people. The traditional
lifestyle was one in which the people were thedefenders of the environment and the balance was maintained. Today that is being
challenged in many ways. One of the most serious challenges, global climate change, has
its origins outside of Palau, but has a huge impact. Palau’s President Remengesau hascome out strongly at both the national and international levels to enact measures to protect
the environment and combat climate change. This is visible not only at the level of policy andinternational negotiation, but also as a tourist. For example, when a foreign visitor leaves
Palau, in addition to the US$20.00 departure tax, s/he is required to pay a $US30.00 fee forenvironmental protection. This is unusual and for many tourists, including me, it felt like a lotof money. While waiting in line to pay, I reflected that it is actually a small price to pay forprotecting one of the best diving spots in the world for future generations.
Of course, exit taxes and surcharges are nowhere near enough to stop climate change
and protect Palau’s environment; everyone must do his/her part not only in Palau but at
home – and all the time! If wewere all to follow Palau’s
example and get serious about
the environment, maybe we will
be able to leave a better world for
all
of
our
childrenandgenerations
to
come.
On
reflection, the negative response
to my question was not about
Palau so much as a challenge to
us all. How much of a difference
can we make in the next thirty
years?

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4*Popoki’s Interview*
Interview：Mr. NAGATA Fumio
Organizer
Iwate Association to Protect the Sanriku Coast from Radioactive
Contamination
Hayashi-Nyan
In September 2014, I met Mr. Nagata, an organizer for “Iwate Association to Protect the
Sanriku Coast from Radioactive Contamination”. We met for two hours at a café in Morioka
Station during a Kobe University volunteer bus trip to Iwate. I have been to Iwate many times
with the volunteer bus and Popoki, but have had few opportunities to talk about the impact of
the nuclear accident, though I heard many people talk about the tsunami. This time I
attempted to interview activists for denuclearization who are at work in Iwate.
They started their activities from the protest for the “active test” by the Rokkasho Village
nuclear fuel reprocessing plant, Aomori, in February 2005 because the plant company was
actually planning to release a high level radioactive liquid waste. “The petition for Sanriku
Coast Conservation from Radioactive Contamination” was adopted unanimously by the
Iwate Prefectural Assembly. But the company carried out the release of the radioactive
waste into the air and sea. Mr. Nagata thinks that this was not the first time, so there was a‘precedent’. The construction of a reprocessing plant for medical radioactive waste (RMC
Iwate Takizawa village) was a foreshadowing of the Rokkasho plant. Mr. Nagata wasenergetic in the surveillance committee for the RMC, and the new RMC project was rejectedby the village chief in 2004. The director of the RMC stated in his paper that their objectives
were first radiation medicine, second research, and the third waste. Mr. Nagata felt thedirector’s statement was true.
Mr. Nagata was a high school chemistry teacher in Iwate from 1964. He conducted testsof water quality with his students as part of the chemistry club activities. He established an
inquiry committee for environmental disputes within the union of education workers, and he
was a committee member. When we did this interview, he was waiting for a reply to an open
letter of inquiry to the company about the preventive measures for serious accidents for the
Rokkasho plant. The Rokkasho plant already has high concentration of radioactive liquid
waste. If a disaster were to strike this plant and the waste leak, there will be unrecoverable
damage. But the preventive measures by the company are very poor in comparison with theestimated damage. Although it was past the deadline, Mr. Nagata had not received thecompany’s reply to their concerns. The letter was signed and sent jointly by not only the
Iwate Association but also residents of Rokkasho Village, fishermen from Iwate, Aomori, andhttp://popoki.cruisejapan.com

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Hokkaido. Mr. Nagata says that it was very difficult to get residents of Rokkasho tocooperate.
At that time, Mr. Nagata was also involved in filing a written demand regarding theburning of radioactive pasturage waste and mushroom bed logs. The demand was
submitted to the Morioka City Office. The city office insisted to the local residents that they
were able to catch more than 99% of radioactive cesium at the incineration plant, but thedata of Fukushima released by the Ministry of the Environment shows that more than 25% of
the radioactive cesium was released to the open air. The Association demanded a scientificassessment and a change in the security measures, for example burying it underground.
Through Mr. Nagata’s accounts, we can be aware that we outsiders have very few
opportunities to know the difficulties concerning contamination not only in Fukushima but
also in Iwate.
The reason why Mr. Nagata pursued the Rokkasho reprocessing plant and the problems at
the incineration plant is that we do not have any environmental regulations concerning
radioactivity. Mr. Nagata carries on a campaign to establish environmental protection laws.
By that, he is implementing a strategy for denuclearization from the “outside.” Anotheractivity of the Association is a campaign to demand thyroid tests for children. Mr. Nagata’s
conviction that strong movements in Iwate will help to support and reinforce Fukushima isimpressive for me.
I understand that Mr. Nagata’s work has not particular political or other affiliation. This
nonsectarian character is demonstrated by the fact that the Association’s demand in 2005 to
the prefectural assembly was passed unanimously. Although the movement for
denuclearization has become fragmented over trivial differences, Mr. Nagata gets his
motivation from the belief that if everyone does his/her best, then something unexpected will
happen. He was very impressed by the juridical decision by the Fukui district court thatbanned the restarting of Ohi nuclear power plant. The National Diet session held in 1970 iscalled the “Pollution Diet” because it passed a lot of laws concerning pollution in spite ofstrong aspirations and trends toward high-rate economic growth. While he anticipates asecond coming of that kind of national Diet, he takes part in the movements toughly andsteadily with his stance, while he also tries to understand the role of counterpart
bureaucrats.
Web Site:
Iwate Association for Protecting Sanriku Coast fromRadioactive Contamination
http://sanriku.my.coocan.jp/

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6Lesson 79
This month’s Poga is about using abs!

1. As always, begin with sitting up straight and making yourself look beautiful.
2. Lie on your back. Bend your knees leaving your feet on the floor, or if you want,raise your legs, keeping them bent or straight. Now raise your head and shoulders.
Do you feel the pull on your abs?
3. Next, lie on your side with your legs straight and your top leg a little bit behindthe lower leg. Now raise the lower leg.
4. Finally, raise your legs in the air. If you like, try going all the way up to yourshoulders.
5. Did it? It is time for the ‘success pose.’
Congratulations! You have successfully completed Lesson 79. Do you feel refreshed?
Please remember to relax, breathe, laugh and practice for 3 minutes every day.

Next Po-kai: 12/27 Ponenkai!!! 18:00-18:30 Po-kai, 18:30~ Ponenkai! Shinkobe
OPA, Mamenohatake2015.1.9 Poster session at 3rd Kobe University Symposium on Disaster Support andResearch, Kobe University Idemitsu Rokko Auditorium (Rokkodai Campus).
Information, reservations phone 078-803-5029.
2015.1.15-21 Popoki at ‘Messages for Children’ Exhibit in conjunction with the 20th
anniversary of the Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake, Kobe Citizen’s Gallery,
Kobe City Hall building 1, 2F. 10:00~18:00.
2015.2.26-3.2 Popoki in Otsuchi-cho
2015.3.? Popoki’s Mini Peace Film Festival (tentative)
From Popoki’s friends
Raisins from Afghanistan Project (CODE): The amount of the grapes is increasing year by year with the project. We wantmany people have chance to taste the Afghan grapes and we have finally begun importing their grapes as raisins.
The grapes are dried in the sun in Mir Bacha Kot by the grape farmers and delivered to Japan Fairtrade Committee
to get packed. The grapes have a naturally sweet taste with no use of agrichemicals or added substances. The profit
goes to people in Mir Bacha Kot. You can order them from us or get more information from:http://code-jp.org/afghanistan/index.html

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ESD Digital Archives, Kansai Council of Organizations for International Exchange
http://www.interpeople.or.jp“Peace Picture Book Published – linked to disaster support in East Japan” Kobe
Shimbun (2014.3.25) KIHARA Kana
“Awards given to 37 groups Daiwa Securities Foundation” Kobe Shimbun （2013.8.23
p.8）“Reproducing ‘human shadows’ and asserting no nukes” Kobe Shimbun （2013.8.7 p.22）‘Draw inner thoughts about disaster’ Yomiuri Shimbun 2013.2.16:4 (evening edition; Japanese)“‘Safe’ and ‘Secure’ Society is from the bottom-up”, Mainichi Shimbun Interview with Ronni
Alexander, 2012.10.29, p.1 (evening edition; Japanese)
R. Alexander. “Remembering Hiroshima: Bio-Politics, Popoki and Sensual Expressions of War.”International Feminist Journal of Politics. Vol.14:2:202-222, June 2012
“Article 9 is at the base of Peace with Popoki” Kodomo to Mamoru 9 jono kai News, No.66,
2012.5.12“Hope on 60 meters of cloth” Etsuko Akuzawa. (In Japanese) Asahi Shimbun 2012.1.21“Voice for Peace made into a book” Masashi Saito. (in Japanese) Kobe Shimbun, 2012.1.19
K. Wada. “Conversations with Ronni Alexander: The Popoki Peace Project; Popoki, What Color is Peae?
Popoki, What Color is Friendship?” International Feminist Journal of Politics Vol.13, No.2, 2011, 257-263
S. McLaren. “The Art of Healing”(Popoki Friendship Story Project) Kansai Scene. Issue 133, June 2011,
p.10. kansaiscene.com
R. Alexander. (2010) “The Popoki Peace Project: Creating New Spaces for Peace in Demenchonok, E.,
ed. Philosophy after Hiroshima. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, pp.399-418
省窓：Column in Kobe YMCA News, No.606, 2011.1, p.1 (In Japanese)“If we all participate, something will change! Reflecting on Palestine” THE YMCA No.607 June 2010, p.1(YMCA Japan Monthly Newspaper)
Hiroshima and the World: What Color is Hiroshima?
Chugoku Shimbun Peace Media Center,
http://www.hiroshimapeacemedia.jp/mediacenter/article.php?story=20100312140608602_en 2010.3.15
FM COCOLO 76.5 ‘Heart Lines’ 2010.1.9 Japanese Interview: Ronni on Popoki in Palestine“Human Rights, Popoki and Bare Life.” In Factis Pax Journal of Peace Education and Social Justice Vol.3,
No.1, 2009, pp.46-63 (http://www.infactispax.org/journal/)
Nishide, Ikuyo. “Popoki, What Color is Peace? Lecture by Ronni Alexander.” “PPSEAWA” (Pan-Pacificand south-East Asia Women’s Association of Japan), No.63, 2009.12, p.5‘Friendship’ No.2 2009.11 Itami City International/Peace Exchange Commission, Annual Events, p.1-2.
‘Not for But With…’ No.79, 2010.1 Notice of the Popoki Peace Challenge event. P.12
‘Nada’ notice of the Popoki Peace Challenge event, 2009.12, p.2‘Yujotte…Kangaeru Ehon.’ Asahi Shimbun 2009.7.2 AKUZAWA Etsuko‘Yujo wo kangaete – Ningen to, Neko to, soshite Jibun to,’ RST/ALN,No.259 2009.6.28, p.11
‘New Books: Popoki, What Color is Friendship? Popoki’s Peace Book 2 ’ (Rebecca Jennison)“Cutting-Edge,” Vol.35 2009.6, p.3‘Thinking about Peace with a Cat: Second Peace Book Published.” (SAITO Masashi) Kobe Shimbun, 2009.4.21‘Popoki, What Color is Peace?’ Kobe YMCA News, 2009.3.1. No.593. p.2‘Popoki, What Color is Trash?’ Kobe YMCA News, 2009.1.1. No.592. p.2‘Tomodachi ni Natte Kuremasenkai,’ RST/ALN, 2009.2.22
Popoki on the radio.
http://www.kizzna.fm/ Click on 6CH to hear the program and reading of Popoki in Japanese
Yasashii kara hito nann desu Exhibition Organizing Committee ‘Universal Declaration of Human Rights.’ Hyogo
Buraku Liberation and Human Rights Institute. 2008.10. ¥500. For information contact: blrhyg@osk3.3web.jp“KFAW College Seminar: What Color is Peace for Women? Thinking about Peace, Violence and Gender with Popoki.”
Asian Breeze No.54 October 2008, p.8 （Kitakyushu Forum on Asian Women）
Kobe Shimbun “Human Rights Declaration Exhibition Panels: 6 Local Hyogo Artists Illustrate all 30 Articles” 2008.10.8.
p.10“An Interview with Dr. Ronni Alexander.” The Newpeople, Pittsburgh’s Peace and Justice Newspaper, Vol.38 No.9,
October 2008, p.5
Human Security – Dr. Ronni Alexander speaks about Hiroshima and Nagasaki.” The Newpeople, Pittsburgh’s Peace
and Justice Newspaper, Vol.38 No.9, Oct. 2008, p.4
Popokiin
Pittsburgh.
Check
out
the
Remembering
Hiroshima/Imagining
Peace
URL:
http://www.rememberinghiroshima.org/* Back issues of Popoki News: http://popoki.cruisejapan.com/archives_e.html

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Matsuda Yasuyukinyan
I first met Popoki a while after the first Popoki picture book was published. Since then, I
have worked with Popoki when we held workshops for kids in YMCA after school programs,
YMCA committees, and for parent-child programs.
Popoki is popular with adults and children, and people understand him in no time.
Popoki is not disliked by anyone, and he does not dislike anyone. I feel that it's such a nicepresence. I think it is happening a lot around us that someone dislikes everyone and is
disliked by them. But we can learn to think a little more about others than ever before, andreconsider ourselves when we think about “Peace” with Popoki. I hope I will have many
more chances to meet lots of people with Popoki. I will stay with you Popoki !!

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9

PLEASE HELP SUPPORT THE POPOKI PEACE PROJECT!
The Popoki Peace Project is a voluntary project which uses Popoki’s peace
books and DVD to promote peace through various activities such as peace
camps, peace workshops, seminars and other activities. Since the March2011 earthquake, we have also worked in the disaster area and in 2012published a book about that work: Popoki’s Friendship Story - Our Peace
Journey Born Out of the Great Northeastern Japan Earthquake. Popoki, What
Color is Peace? has been translated into Thai, Chinese, Korean, Khmer,
Indonesian, Tetun and Bengali, Vietnamese, Arabic and Hebrew. Spanish,
Farsi, Lao, Swahili, translations are underway. If you would like to translate
Popoki, or have a way to have the book sold at your local bookstore, please
let us know.

How to purchase Popoki’s books from outside of Japan
1. Go to your local Japanese bookstore: Kinokuniya, Maruzen, etc. (ortheir website)
2. In the US, thanks to a very satisfied customer, Popoki, What Color isPeace? Popoki's Peace Book 1 can be ordered from Kinokuniya
Bookstore
in
Los
Angeles.
Thebookstoreisatwww.los_angeles@kinokuniya.com and the telephone number is 213.687.4480. The price is
US$20.00 plus tax.

Some ways to purchase Popoki, What Color is Peace? Popoki’s Peace
Book 1, Popoki, What Color is Friendship? Popoki’s Peace Book 2,
Popoki, What Color is Genki? Popoki’s Peace Book 3 and Popoki’s
Friendship Story from inside Japan
From the publisher, Epic: TEL: 078-241-7561･FAX: 078-241-1918
From Amazon.co.jp or your local bookseller
From the Popoki Peace Project (popokipeace（at）gmail(dot)com
Contributions are always welcome!
Popoki Peace Project popokipeace-at-gmail.com
http://popoki.cruisejapan.com
From within Japan, please use our Postal account or Postal bank account:
Account Name ポーポキ・ピース・プロジェクト神戸
Postal Account number: ００９２０－４－２８０３５
Postal Bank (Yuucho Ginko) account number: Branch No.:099; Branch
name: 009 店、special account(当座) 0280350

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