August 2023 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 2023. 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. English version No. 272 Uploaded on August 20th, 2023
Oppose Kishida Military Buildup, Stop Constitutional Change!
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated publicly that he will accomplish a constitutional reform during his term as LDP president, with a timetable aiming for September 2024. We should raise our game to make this the autumn of a general public uprising against constitutional amendment. The A9A secretariat is calling on local groups to join in designating the whole of November as General Struggle Month. Events will kick off with the October 5th Anti-Constitutional Revision Rally Opposing Government Massive Military Buildup. The Rally is hosted by Tokyo Metro A9A groups, supported by General Struggle for Action (GSA) and Civic Alliance (CA). ... October 5th Rally October 5 (Thursday) Date: Start: 10:00 Venue: Nakano Zero Momijiyama Culture Center, Big Hall Oct. 5th Rally Organizing Committee Host: General Struggle for Action and the Civic Alliance Organizing Committees Support: Speeches: Yuko Tanaka, Koichi Nakano, others Program: Pre-October 5th Rally Assembly Date: September 1 (Friday) Time: 18:30 through 20:30 Venue: Bunkyo Kumin Center, Conference Room 2A Host: Organizing Committee of October 5th Rally Program: Speeches: Ken Takada, Ryuichi Ozawa
Provincial reports of A9A Groups
Activity Exchange Meeting in Hiroshima, Following A9A's Nationwide Meeting Fuchu Town A9A, Hiroshima Pref.. By Masahiko Yagi, Administrative Staff A9A's Nationwide Activity Meeting on May 28 was a treasure trove of ideas about how to improve our activities. While at the meeting I met the general secretary of the Hiroshima Prefecture A9A, lawyer Shin'ichi Ishiguchi. While talking with Shin'ichi me and fellow Fuchu Town A9A members came up with the idea that we could ask this lawyer and activist to do the keynote speech for our annual meeting in July. He agreed to come, but suggested that instead of doing the usual format of a keynote speech followed by a general meeting, "Now is the time to hold a larger scale activity exchange meeting centering on Hiroshima." Back home, we discussed Ishiguchi's suggestion and our executive committee recentered our July agenda. We switched the first half of our general meeting with its usual keynote speech for an activity exchange meeting, featuring neighboring A9A groups. We sent invitations mentioning the change of agenda to group members and contacted neighboring A9A groups inviting them to participate in the exchange meeting. At the meeting, along with the usual programs and handouts, we gave people Kishu Kyujo Sembei. These are the brilliant idea of the Wakayama Prefectural Citizens A9A: the rice crackers are impressed with a brand—that's common, but these special sembei are branded with Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution! Ishiguchi opened the exchange meeting with a speech after all, followed with my report on the May national meeting. Ishiguchi concluded opening remarks by talking about other local A9A groups within Hiroshima prefecture. He said that Hiroshima Prefecture A9A is planning a prefecture-wide activity exchange meeting this fall. This time, four local groups shared detailed activities. ● Hiroshima Media A9A continues efforts to publish its newsletter and talked about other news of recent actions to protect the Constitution. ● Kannon School District A9A in Hiroshima City's Nishi Ward mentioned the ongoing campaign to set up local A9A groups in all 19 school districts of Nishi Ward. ● Kaita Town A9A mentioned their work to keep up with their street campaign in front of Kaita Railway Station on the 19th of every month. ● Kure City A9A spoke about carrying on the peace movement against the reinforcement of Maritime Self-Defense Force and US Navy bases in Kure City. They beefed up their work there, rechanneling energy from events shut down by the coronavirus pandemic such as their annual music and lecture gathering. After our guests left and we finished our general meeting, we called participants on the phone and told them how much we appreciated their cooperation. Many people cheerfully replied, saying: "When talking among just with our own members, we tended to think about the lack of young people in the group. That exchange meeting lifted my spirits." “The Covid pandemic made our movement lose strength. However, the meeting encouraged us in our activities." "I'm looking forward to meeting you soon at the peace march for a nuclear free world in August in Hiroshima." 19 participants from six organizations managed to come, and 13 people came to the following general meeting. Donations were far above what we expected. I strongly felt the importance of my commitment to practicing what I learned at the National Meeting in May about being open to new activities and liaising and interacting more with other groups. The 19th Day Action: Members Appeal against Japan's Massive Military Buildup Koryo Town A9A, Nara Prefecture By Toshiyuki Shimomura, Administrative Staff 19th Day Action is a nationwide monthly campaign by local A9A groups aiming to foster public opinion demanding the repeal of Japan's war legislation. This legislation was enacted in September 2015, and has been severely criticized as being a violation of the Constitution, which is currently interpreted as forbidding the government exercising the right of collective self-defense. Eleven members of Koryo Town A9A did a 19th Day Action in an open shopping mall in Kure on July 19. In the mall's second floor passage, members took turns speaking to passersby through a bullhorn, asking for signatures on two petitions: one against revising the Peace Constitution of Japan, and one against the government's policy of massive military buildup and related financial burdens on citizens. Other members called on people to participate in a dot-voting for or against the Kishida Administration's military expansion policy and handed out flyers. Two high-school girls approached and listened to speakers and put stickers on the dot-voting board against the government policy. I was greatly encouraged to see young adults concerned about peace issues and expressing opinions like this. (Translated by Toshikazu Izumi) PND