The English version of the “Article 9 Association” Bulletin and News
This is the translated version of the Japanese edition (No.171 dated May20th, 2013). It is
published by Katsuyuki Nara and Sarah Brock of the New English Teachers Association
(or Shin-Eiken) (http://www.shin-eiken.com/). The translations are our own．
(Updated on June 14th, 2013)
(English version No.105)
A Seige of Public Opinon:
Surround Revisionism with Free Speech
Article 9 Association issues protest
announcement
A9A
founders
requirement of a 2/3 majority vote for any
Constitutional Revision). In other words, the
Okudaira
current government plans to define democracy in
Yasuhiroand Sawachi Hisae held a founders
terms of simple majority numbers, and plans to
meeting on May 17th in Tokyo. The founders
establish a system in which a temporarily ruling
exchanged insights on recent moves of various
party can alter the constitution at will. We feel
parties concerning the Japanese Constitution
that the Constitution is a special case, and any
and the activities of A9A. After the meeting they
revision should only be carried out recognizing its
held a press conference announcing a call to
unique importance by keeping the 2/3 majority
action—‘To all A9A members, Greetings.’
rule; this is the structure of a true democracy.”
Oe
Kenzaburo,
During the press conference, Oe Kenzaburo
Sawachi Hisae spoke about the LDP lower house
spoke about the various forces and parties
election: “The LDP claims that they had a
making moves about the constitution. “The
landslide victory last December. But in fact the
constitution issue is nearing the most critical
voter level was very low, barely a 50% turnout,
stage since the founding of the A9A. The Abe
which means that 40% and more of Japanese of
Cabinet seeks to deny the very foundation of the
voting age did not even vote. This shows how little
Constitution and is causing the hard-won trust of
they expect of the government. I point out that a
Asian countries towards Japan to crumble. I
constitution
emphasize that I am one of the people who has
conditions can only make matters worse. The
lived under the present Constitution for the last
countries
sixty years, and I feel it my duty to teach its
occupation in the past fear the possibility that
worth
history might indeed repeat itself.” Ms. Sawachi
and
significance
to
the
younger
generation.’
Okudaira
Yasuhiro
revised
which
under
suffered
these
under
shocking
Japanese
also emphasized how important it has become to
stated
that
‘The
Liberal
motivate voters and get people to go to the polls.
Democratic Party celebrated a so-called landslide
Co-founder Tsurumi Shunsuke sent a message
victory in the lower house election last December
which was read at the meeting: “I have no idea
with a stated resolve to initiate moves eventually
how much energy or strength I have for this work.
leading to constitutional revision. The main target
But it is clear that no matter how weak I may be, I
for revision is Article 96 (which establishes the
have the obligation to express my strong-willed
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support of Article 9.”
To All A9A Members, Greetings.
In June 2004, in order to safeguard the future of
establishing a law for protecting military secrets,
a peaceful Japan and a peaceful world, A9A was
and protocols for allowing the Prime Minister to
launched by the founding members. At that time
declare a ‘state of emergency’ (military or security
we
to
state of emergency). These amendments all have
understand and defend the Japanese Constitution,
one goal in view: to reframe Japan as a country
and asked every individual to do all in his or her
which again has the ‘right’ to make war. To affect
power, now, to save and defend Article 9.
these changes the government is pulling out all
called
on
all
right-minded
people
Around the nation, in all walks of life and
stops and trying every method to bring their
professions, over 7,000 groups came into being.
vision to pass.
Our gratitude goes out to all of you, along with our
As a preliminary step, along with preparing the
appreciation of your imaginative and multifarious
way for Constitutional Revision, Prime Minister
activities. However ‘now’ has moved on; we face a
Abe is leading the charge to change constitutional
critical phase which requires all of us to increase
interpretation. This would enable Self Defense
our activities tenfold, a hundred-fold.
Force collective (military) response, and allow
The Abe Government, formed by the Liberal
SDF participation in American military activities
Democratic Party, interpreted a lower-house
around the globe, including the use of arms.
election victory based on a paltry voter turnout
We reject absolutely, from the roots of our
and unequal vote values as a national mandate,
commitment, any attempt to abrogate the spirit of
and now charges into a runaway policy for
Article 9 or radically reinterpret its tenets in a
constitutional
Abe
way that negates its vision. For this reason we
targets amending Article 96 as a preliminary step
now call on each one of you, all the A9A groups
to easing the revision process; changing the
and concerned people around the country, to take
currently required two-thirds majority to a simple
the following steps in defense of Article 9.
revision.
Prime
Minister
majority for Constitutional Revision. In other
◎ Study and talk over attempts to revise the
words, any political party that happens to have a
constitution or change interpretation of
simple majority can alter the constitution at their
constitutional articles, and discuss the
discretion, and on the slightest excuse. This will
current
rip the foundations of constitutional democracy
constitution. Use the results of your study to
out of the ground.
create a forum for anti-reform debate in the
barrage
of
attacks
on
the
The ultimate goal of the LDP is to amend
workplace and with local contacts, and use
Article 9. The LDP has issued a “draft of revising
the grassroots grapevine to besiege the Abe
the Japanese Constitution”. In the draft, Article 9
Government and other revisionist forces.
will be amended to enable Self-Defense Forces act
◎ Give the A9A argument a larger voice, and
alone
or
in
participation
with
U.S.-led
create
multi-national forces by invoking the right to
a
majority
opinion
against
between
different
constitutional revision.
individual and collective self-defense. The draft
◎ Increase
also aims for setting up a military court,
interactions
groups, from prefecture to prefecture, from
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city to town to village, and learn from each
Meeting to be held this year on November 16
other’s experiences, and encourage each
in Tokyo.
other’s efforts. With these results in hand,
everyone is encouraged to attend the
May 17, 2013
National
Founding Members of A9A
Interaction
and
Discussion
Local A9A groups’ grass root activities are given below.
Liaison meeting of A9A groups in Miyagi prefecture
The Miyagi Groups Coalition has recently decided
of handouts for distribution is planned for
to distribute door–to-door a bigger-size handout
about300,000, nearly one-third of the 910,000
describing crisis of articles 9 and 96. The number
households in the prefecture.
Fukushima A9A groups
On May 3rdthe Fukushima Coalition A9A issued
called on A9A groups in Fukushima to stage a
an “appeal against Article 96 revision as a
signature collection supporting the appeal.
precursor to revising Article 9.”The groups have
Aichi academics network
The Aichi A9A Academics Networkissued a public
draft for revising the Constitution, and especially
appeal: “emergency appeal against constitutional
the scheme to revise Article 96.
ravages” on May 16th. The appeal criticizes anLDP
Iwate mayors’ group
18
mayorsand
former
mayors
in
Iwate
activities with other mayors’ A9A groups in
Prefectureformed an A9A group on May 14th. They
Tohoku district.
plan to hold a public lecture and collaborative
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