June 2024 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 publishedin June 2024. It is published by Katsuyuki Nara of the New English Teachers Association (orShin-Eiken, http://www.shin-eiken.com/) and Sarah Brock. The translation is on our own．
The A9A aims to prevent the 5 factions in the House of representatives who are pro-constitutional
amendment from using the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) to enter the process of drafting a text ofthe Constitution!
Anger at the LDP has intensified in the wake of the back taxes issue. While the Diet deliberated Economic
Secrets Protection Law and Local Autonomy Law revisions and the Law for Establishment of the Ministry ofDefense joint command post, there have been three by-elections to the House of Representatives as well as
one for the governor of Shizuoka Prefecture. The CRC, taking advantage of confusion and important
conflictive issues being debated in the current Diet session, was also working to draft constitutional articles.
What is particularly significant is that this newly-emerged plan in the CRC to start drafting constitutional
articles includes only the five constitutional reform groups/parties, and pointedly excludes ‘outsiders’,including the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Communist Party. This is an outrageous
misuse of the Committee System and must not be allowed.
The A9A under the imprint “Kujo no Kai” has published Constitutional Reform, Military Expansion, and theConstitutional Review Board and numerous other information materials. These outline the Kishidaadministration’s aims and their attempt to force constitutional reform and arrange extended terms of officefor Diet members to facilitate the process. We urge members to use A9A materials and publications to takegrassroots action!

Such actions ideally will include monitoring the constitutional reformers' moves within

the CRC and opposing them explicitly. (Translated by Katsuyuki Nara)

76th rally and parade against 2015 war laws
Tsugaru A9A group in Hirosaki City, Aomori Pref.
The Tsugaru A9A group is active mainly in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture. We are uniting to protect
Article 9 across all ages and professions with the single aim of opposing the revision of Article 9 of theConstitution of Japan.
Group members sensed a crisis when the national security-related legislation (war laws) were pushed
through the Diet in September 2015. This stimulated us to call on about 40 organizations to form theHirosaki Executive Committee to Obey the Constitution and Abolish War Laws. Since 2015 the committee
has held monthly rallies and parades.
1Our 76th Executive Committee action was held on June 1st . We invited constitutionalist opposition
parties—the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the Japanese Communist Party, the Social
Democratic Party and the Reiwa Shinsengumi party—and other citizens’ organizations to speak. The agathering was created and promoted as a group effort, everyone working together.
Besides Executive Committee Work, the Tsugaru A9A group stages street campaigns and collecting
signatures on the first and second Wednesdays of every month on a petition against the revision of Article 9.
We place an advocacy ad opposing revising the Constitution in newspapers every May 3 rd, Constitution
Memorial Day. In 2024 we participated in a civic gathering in Tokyo to think of the Constitution andDemocracy.
We support activities of local A9A groups at every elementary school district and workplace by liaising andcoordinating with them. These local and special A9A groups has their own unique ongoing efforts:
Tsugaru A9A Women’s group: organizes monthly standing demonstrations calling for the scrap of the2015 national security law

Co-op workers A9A Group: holds monthly learning sessions and an annual gathering called Kempo Café

Tsugaru persons of religion A9A group: hosts A-bomb photo exhibits and screened the film

Ashita’e—Senso wa Zaiaku— (For Tomorrow—War is Sin—) for the first time in the prefecture.
(Atsushi Saito, Secretarial Staff) (Translated by Toshikazu Izumi)

Standing appeal on Constitution Day
Miyagi A9A group of Sendai City, Miyagi Pref.
On May 3rd, Constitution Memorial Day, Miyagi A9A held its annual Standing Appeal (stationarydemonstration) for protecting Article 9. 70 more members than last year joined together on the west exit
Pedestrian Deck of JR Sendai Station.
In hot summer-like sunshine, participants held up banners and panels each group made and broughtthemselves: “Don’t Change Article 9! / Peace is Best / Don’t take Children’s Hopes away!!”, and “No way, a‘New Pre-War era’ * / Peace Diplomacy following the Constitution”.
Representatives of A9A groups spoke in turn, including the executive director of Miyagi A9A Kimio Itagaki.
Speakers criticized PM Fumio Kishida’s recent moves and policies including large-scale military buildup andattempts to change the Constitution to allow extended Diet office terms in times of emergency. Speakers
reminded participants that these moves effectively bury pacifism and sabotage the impact of Article 9 of theConstitution. One speaker specifically condemned PM Kishida’s April 10th Washington DC commitment tostronger military coalition with the U.S. and the assumption that Self-Defense Forces would be placed undercommand of the US military.

2After the standing demonstration ended, Miyagi A9A members joined the annual Miyagi prefecture
residents rally for Utilization of the Constitution at Kokusai Center. The rally was followed by a march toCivic Square in front of City Hall.
(Extract from 415th edition of Miyagi A9A Email newsletter Miyagino Kyu-jo)(Translated by Toshikazu Izumi)Note:*新しい戦前：Atarashii senzen, a new pre-war era

Japanese television celebrity Tamori in December 2022, was asked in an interview, “What kind of year (doyou think) the next one will be?” He replied obscurely, “I think it will be a new pre-war year.” His comment
caused a stir as it coincided with continuing war in Ukraine and the Japanese Diet proposals to acquire
enemy base attack capability and make large increases in defense spending. The phrase was nominated forthe 2023 buzzword of the year.
Source: digital Asahi Shimbun, May 3rd, 2024—access A new pre-war era
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