May 2022 Issue
English Version of the “Article 9 Association (A9A)” Bulletin and News
This is the translated version of the Japanese edition of the Bulletin and News published in May 2022. It
is published by Katsuyuki Nara of the New English Teachers Association (or Shin-Eiken, http://www.shin-eiken.com/) and Sarah Brock. The translation is on our own．
Uploaded on May 25th, 2022

English version No. 258

Expand people’s signature campaign against constitutional change
PM Fumio Kishida, leading moves toaccelerate

constitutional

amendments

tosignatures on petitions and inform citizens ofconstitutional issues.

devastate Article 9, sent a video message on
May 5th Constitution Day to a pro-revision
force

rally,

urgingthemtopressforamendment.
Numerous

rallies

foropposing

constitutional change were held on the same
Constitution Day, one rally attracting 15,000people.

TheA9Asignature

campaign

committee is actively pushing ahead during
rallies

withefforts

tocollect

citizens’

LDP’s perilous scheme---- “Proposal for National Security Strategy”
On April 26th, the ruling LDP revealed their “Proposal on mapping out
national security strategy.” The Proposal was put together by the LDP Policy
Affairs Research Council and National Security Research Council. It urges
strengthening the Japan-US Military Alliance and further military buildup inlight of recent China-US military confrontation and Russian militaryaggression.
Referring to Chinese and Russian military force as grave threats to Japan,
the Proposal urges raising military spending to 2% or more of the GDP, a 5year program increasing Japan’s military budget, and acquiring missile attack
capability on foreign military forces modeled on America’s defense of Taiwan.

(Translated by Katsuyuki Nara)

Reports from provincial A9A groups
50 Days Straight Standing Demonstration
Takahashi City A9A, Okayama Pref.
Daily

Volunteer

Citizens’Standing

Citizen’s Gymnasium on the Takahashi River

Demonstration in front of the Takahashi

entered its 50th day on April 18th. The action

began on February 28th with demonstrators

said, “I was moved to tears when I watch TV

calling, “Stop the Russian war against

report ’Ukrainian Sufferers’. For sure, I’m

Ukraine and Support Ukrainian refugees!”

donating my pocket money to help them.”

April 18th marks the day that Takahashi A9A,

Takahashi City Vice Mayor and the Director ofwhich had staged 183 monthly joint rallies

Education

there, merged with the new standing action.

fundraising campaign. Humanitarian support

The demonstration committee started adonation

campaign

forwar-ravaged

Ukrainian refugees. Citizens have shown

Board

cooperatedinthereached ¥105,828 as of April 10th, which wassent to the UNHCR office.

(Translated by

Katsuyuki Nara)strong cooperation and support. One citizen
Keep Campaigning on the Street, Unbeaten by the Pandemic
Takayama A9A, Gifu PrefectureArticle 9 Association Takayama, founded

ongoing Takayama A9A activities:

December 8, 2004, in response to a call fromA9A

headquarters,

transcends

religious

http://www.hidatakayama.ne.jp/kota/9jyou/.

beliefs and political views to unite efforts toprotect and preserve Article 9 of Japan’sConstitution.
Takayama A9A sponsors study meetings
and an annual lecture, and when the Security
Law passed in 2014 held monthly rallies atTakayama Station and at Takayama Jin’ya
Administrator's headquarters, a 300-year-oldNational Cultural Heritage site, to inform
citizens and tourists. Members joined Hida

Takayama A9A sees increasing need for aDistrict volunteers to organize street rallies

broad appeal to the general public to solve

opposing the Security Law and promoting

conflicts not by military threat but throughArticle 9.

peaceful diplomacy based on Article 9. “ARussia’s invasion of Ukraine is causing afeature of our group is that the Jodo Shinshu

rising tide of constitutional revisionism and(True Pure Land) Buddhist priests are veryrisk of government approval of nuclear

active,” says Takayama A9A secretariat

sharing,armament.

member Kiyotaka Ohta. “Many are executive

Takayama A9A suspended street rallies andmembers and play a leading role in staging

campaigns

thedemonstrations and gathering signatures forcoronavirus pandemic but is reactivating

petitions…We want to spread the spirit ofpublic activities in cooperation with other local

Article 9 through joint efforts of peace-loving

groups. Takayama A9A recently launched apeople.” (Translated by Sadao Hiroyama)

andforeven
twonuclear
years

duetonew (Japanese) website to give better access toAnnual Meeting Featured in 17th Anniversary Fest
Article 9-Soka, Soka City, Saitama Pref.

On Sunday, April 3rd, the A9A-Soka held its

will not fight wars and will focus on education.

annual general meeting and celebrated theHowever, what the Japanese government

17th anniversary of the group with a songfest

has been doing is the exactly opposite to theand a special lecture. The meeting wasCosta Rican government. I hope you help

attended by 53 people who made it a rich andmake more people recognize the Constitution

substantial gathering.

of Japan is highly valued in the international

The meeting started with a songfest

community,”

performed by a local chorus group, ‘Utagoe*Todoke-Tai’, which means ‘Hope to send

makers are leading a discussion about thesinging voice.’ The musical group, formed byconstitutional change against the people’s will.

friends from four cities and towns along theI wonder if they have an issue to come up forTobu Line, sang five songs in one go, including

debate, it should be the reality that thethe school song of Kamaishi Elementary

Constitution have been ignored.”“It is not right that those in power like law

School, Iwate Prefecture, and ‘Habatake

The general meeting of the A9A-Soka, after

Kyujo’ (The Article 9 of the Constitution, Sore

the special events were performed, approvedon its wings).

its action programs for the coming year, such

The lyrics of the elementary school songas: Pass on the desire for peace to the next

was written by Hisashi Inoue, a playwrightgenerations by keeping on increasing newand writer of comic fiction in many genres andmembership;

one of the founding members of the A9A.
Following

theamusing

Appeal to the public, “Let us protect peacemusicalby using the Article 9 of the Constitution”;

performance, the audience discussed what has

Cherish our living life in peace through abeen going on at the moment over thevariety of cultural activities.”

Constitution, after watching a DVD, titled

The meeting was closed by adopting an‘Inoue Hisashi san Kenpo 9 jo wo Kataru’urgentwhich means Hisashi Inoue speaking on theinvasion of Ukraine. As the last performance

Article 9. Opinions from the floor as follows:on the day a poet Atsuko Shirane and her*“Costa Rican people respect Japan as afriends recited a poem denouncing Russia fornation with a wonderful Constitution and they

invading Ukraine and shouted, “Absolutely No

stipulate and put into practice in theirWar!” (Translated by Toshikazu Izumi)

Constitution that they will not obtain an army,[END]

statement

againsttheRussian