November 2021 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 November
2021. 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 November 20th, 2021

English version No. 252

A9A Statement: General Election Results in Constitutional Amendment Issues
Entering New Phase
The October 31st general election lost theruling LDP some seats, but the party retains
overall control in coalition with the Komeito
and the Japan Innovation parties. The 334
two-thirds majority seats are required toinitiate an amendment of the Constitution inthe Diet. Constitutional revision looms large,
and the issue has entered a new phase.
PM Fumio Kishida has repeatedly
expressed his plans for constitutional revision
during election stumps. In line with thispolicy, LDP election pledges included buildup
of attack capability against enemy bases aselection next July, and the idea of holding ameeting of the Commission every week.
These proposals are seen as supporting theLDP’s scheme of constitutional amendment.

well as changing the Constitution. Primarily,
the Kishida Cabinet intends to alter Article 9.
By the end of 2022, the Cabinet intends
drastic change to the National Security
Strategy and the Outline of National Defense.
The Cabinet also intends to continue

We note that strengthening of Japan-US
alliance and constitutional revision only
serves to intensify US-China military conflictand provocation. We should prevent
constitutional revision, in particular Article 9.
Our ongoing grassroots activities have soconstruction of the US military base in
Henoko, Okinawa, in spite of local opposition.
The Kishida-led LDP aims at starting
discussion via the Commission on theConstitution during the extraordinary Dietsession. JRP Representative Ichiro Matsui

far contributed to thwarting ruling parties’
intrigues to alter the Constitution. Under theAbe Administration, even after proconstitution revision forces occupied twothirds majority seats, nationwide campaignsof civic alliance and opposition parties haveeven asserts the possibility of a nationalreferendum coincident with the Upper House

prevented the Commission from holding ameeting. In the 2019 Upper House election1

the Abe Cabinet lost many seats, far below a
two-thirds majority, thus leading todisrupting the progress of Constitutional
revision schemes in the Diet.

With our past activities in mind, let us
work together to deter ruling party
constitutional revision and defend Article 9.

(translated by Katsuyuki Nara)

The following are reports from provincial A9A groups.
Enthusiasm at Gifu Peace Rally
Gifu A9A in Gifu Prefecture
The Gifu Peace Gathering, held yearly toinspiring talk, such as when she had asked

celebrate the promulgation of the Japanese

her mother why she did not go to the polls, orConstitution, was suspended last year, but

how Choi discovered deep empathy with

was revived on November 3rd. Although

Chopin’s despair about being unable to return

initial admission was limited to 500 in theto Poland, his homeland. At the end of herinterest of pandemic safety, the quickly

performance, she got a long round of applause.

prepared event ended up allowing more thanSecond was the main part of the program,

700 people to attend.

a lecture by acclaimed TV anchor Shigenori
Kanehira: “From a Competitive Society ofSelfishness

toanAltruism---From

theInclusiveSociety

PerspectiveofofTVReporting.” He began with analyzing theresults of the latest general election and thecoalition led by Liberal Democratic and theKomeito

partiesretaininganabsolutemajority, despite a good fight and theFirst on the program was a piano-and-opposition parties’ joint efforts. He thentalk show by pianist Seon-ae Lois Choi, an

expressed a sense of crisis over the fact that

ethnic Korean living in Japan. The artist

the increased number of seats won by Nippon

played5startingwithIshin (Japan Innovation Party) has created aending

withsituation in which lawmakers in favor of“Scherzo No. 2”, and between each piece sheconstitutional amendment reached more thantalked about experiences. The audience was

two-thirds in the Lower House.

“FantasyChopinpieces,Impromptu”

andmoved by her soulful performance and“Two causes behind this,” Kanehira said,2

“are that people in general are so exhausted

interests. He asserted that people must workby the pandemic that they drifted toward

together to build on ideas of self-sacrifice andmaintaining the status quo. Also the mass

inclusiveness as they face the common

media covered the LDP’s leadership election

problem of the pandemic. “The hall wasextensively as a prequel to the upcoming

wrapped in big applause and with fervor,”

general election, thus turning the generalcommented one of the organizers, Chiaki

election into a media show to gain viewership,

Yoshida,without clarifying the political issues.”

University.

Finally,society’s

Kanehira
prioritizedcriticizedmodernpursuit

selfishof

professor

emeritusofGifu(translated by Sadao Hiroyama)

95-Year-Old’s Determination to Defend Article 9
Kochi A9A, Women’s A9A in Kochi Prefecture
In Kochi city on November 3rd, Kochi A9Aand Kochi Women’s Association of Article 9
held a joint program to commemorate the 75thanniversary of the promulgation of theJapanese Constitution. The event was thefirst since the Covid pandemic began, and theroughly 150 attendees gave encouraging andpositive feedback to the organizers.
The first part of the program was arecorded lecture by Hisashi Inoue (d.2010),
playwright and writer of comic fiction in
many genres and one of the founding
members of the A9A. Participants had a great
opportunity to learn how, in the author’s
words, "The world needs the spirit of article

taught them how precious the Peace
Constitution is. The first was a pottery shop
owner from Kochi, Katsuhiko Ueno. He wasin Hiroshima when the A-bomb was dropped,but only began narrating his experiences at

In the second part of the program,age 80 when he started communicating withthe families of classmates who had fallen
victims to the bombing. “Hiroshima was an
unwanted memory. However, I have to talkabout it now and I can’t keep silence,” said
Ueno, adding, “I’m going to keep telling about

survivors of World War II took the stage tospeak about their experiences of wartime thatmy experience of war to help people explore
ways to help Japan remain peaceful.”9." The humor and wit of the lecture bothproduced a lot of laughs and provided an indepth
learning
experience
about
Constitutional issues.

3The second speaker was Atsuko Matsuzaki,
95, professor emeritus of education at Kochi
University, also well-known in Kochi as alocal cuisine researcher. She said that in her
childhood dying for the state was glorified.
But after the war ended, when she was a

Executive Director of Kochi A9A Kazuhito
Taniwaki (lawyer), summed up by reminding
participants that as of last month’s election,
the number of LDP lower house members andcamp followers calling for revising theConstitution exceeded two-thirds majority.

university student, the Constitution witharticle 9 and the sovereignty of the people wasestablished. It was the dawn of a new era forher. Matsuzaki concluded, “I will continue myrole as a storyteller while thinking what wecan do to achieve a Peaceful Japan.”He stressed, “Let’s continue to wage ourcampaign for the protection of theConstitution in every part of the prefecture.”(Translated by Toshikazu Izumi)[END]4