The English version of the “Article 9 Association(A9A)” Bulletin and News
This is the translated version of the Japanese edition (No.189 date August 15th, 2014). It is
published by KatsuyukiNara, and Sarah Brock of the New English Teachers Association
(or Shin-Eiken) (http://www.shin-eiken.com/). The translations are on our own．
Uploaded on September 24th, 2014
English Edition No. 123
Ideas sparked for A9A Special Campaign October
New Groups Formed
The Japanese cabinet approval of potential
the A9A ‘October Campaign Month’ appeal,
exercise of the right to collective self-defense on
discussed concrete plans for the special A9A
July 1 2014 sparked the formation of new A9A
campaign.
groups and raised consciousness of all groups
New groups formed in Inadani, Nagano (Jul. 19),
across the nation. Prefectural and regional groups
Minami Boso, Chiba (Aug. 9), and dormant groups
held meetings on or around July 1 and inspired by
in Kanda, Tokyo and other areas resumed activity.
Regional Reports: Learn, encourageeach other
Tottori
The Tottori A9A held an exchange and lecture
also proposed holding a prefecture level gathering.
meeting on July 26th, attended by Tottori City A9A,
A newspaper leaflet insert was arranged to
Chubu A9A, Sakai Minato A9A, KetakaA9A,
coincide with War End Day and a prefecture level
Chizu A9A, Nabecho A9A and A9A-Nichinan.
meeting was put into production for autumn.
Prefectural
A9A
Secretary
General
At the 7/26 meeting it was reported that local
ShosakuHamada encouraged member groups to
city council petitions to oppose the exercise of the
translate into concrete reality the A9A national
Right to Collective Self-Defense are being strongly
appeal of July 5. Groups discussed potential
opposed by local members of the New Komeito
initiatives, including raising public awareness of
Party (NKP), the coalition allies of the ruling
August 15War End Day, when Japan signed the
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) .
instruments of surrender ending WWII. Groups
Kochi
On July 27 Kochi A9A had aprefecture-wide
aiming for the success of the Opinion ad to be
exchange meeting attended by 16 regional groups
published in the Kochi Shimbun on November 3
and A9A groups representing a variety of fields
and the prefectural citizen’s meeting November 1,
and professions.
which will welcome guest speakerGakushuin
Prefectural
Secretary
General
University Professor Miho Aoi.
KazuhitoTanigakiopened the meeting with a
In other Kochigroup news, JoseiWomen’s A9A of
report on the complex state of affairs involved in
Kochi invited lawyer AsakoAkaneof Okinawa to
the cabinet approval of the exercise of the Right to
lecture on the current state of affairs in Okinawa.
Collective Self-Defense. Tanigakui emphasized
Haiku A9A and Artists A9A reported activities,
how the cabinet approval conflicts with the
and regional groups reported about constructing
Japanese Constitution. Encouragement was given
large signs and banners, doing street campaigns,
holding study meetings and showing the movie
Right to Collective Self-Defense has sparked
The Targeted Village directed by Chie Mikami.
dormant A9A groups to revive, members also said.
The Abe Cabinet approval of the exercise of the
Aichi
The Aichi Prefectural A9A held a study and
ex-mayor of Ginowan (Okinawa), who covered
activity reports exchange meeting on August 2.
American military base issues in Okinawa. The
The meeting was attended by about 100 members
group knows that their generation will be the last
of a wide variety of A9A groups from different
to hear war experiences told directly by survivors
locations, fields and educational institutions.
themselves, and they are planning a meeting to
Nihon Fukushi University A9A sent one of their
hear the first-hand experiences of survivors. The
third year students, who reported that the group
students have realized that continuity is difficult
has been holdingspring and autumn meetings
to maintain in a four year turnover environment,
withthemes of peace and social welfare. This
and to facilitate continuity, this spring they
spring their guest lecturer was Yoichi Iha,
elected two freshmen as ‘caretakers’.
Nagoya
In the city of Nagoya, the Showa A9A reports
reports: “eight Midori Ward A9A groups organized
that “in Showa Ward are a large number of high
a liaison committee, which has offered joint study
schools
sessions, showings of the movie The Targeted
and
universities.
To
engage
these
educational institutions, we have been handing
Village
out leaflets at school gates with information about
statements of first-hand war experiences.”
peace parades and other activities. As a result
and
meetings
to
hear
eyewitness
Aichi Prefectural Secretary General Kotaro
ofthese years of efforts, a bond of trust has been
Kato
established, and teachers and students have
developments, saying that “with creativity and
responded to invitations and performed music and
ingenuity, we can expand the activities of these
recitations at our meetings.”
local city groups, and continue to increase their
In
Midori
Ward,
Arimatsu-Okehazama
A9A
spoke
in
Nagoya
encouraging
these
numbers.”
A9A Lawyers, Oita Branch
Oita
24 Oita Lawyers group convened to found the Oita
study meetings at all levels and to open a new
Lawyers A9A on July 31 2014. At the founding
forum for open discussion of constitutional issues.
meeting 13 lawyers agreed to have lawyer Hisako
This forum, the A9A Story, will be dedicated to
Ishii as their representative. Ms. Ishii is the Chair
conveying the importance of protecting the
of the Oita Lawyers Association Constitutional
Constitution in simple language to the greater
Law Committee. The group plans to use Facebook
public. This forum will be started up formally in
as a forum to inform the public about their
September.
activities.
The Lawyers A9A considers it their mandate to
send members to speak at A9A gatherings and
Representative Hisako Ishii said that “We
desire to work in full cooperation with A9A groups
in all fields.”
Wakayama
In April this year, a new A9A group was formed
by
mothers
the
war, it is my children and the children of mothers
called
of my generation who will be of age to fight and
Kyujo-Mama-Net Cute. The use of the word ‘Cute’
risk being sent to war. This is not somebody else’s
is a pun on holding a child in tight embrace
problem anymore.”
Wakayama
raising young
town
of
children
Tanabe,
in
time? If Japan is forced into some other country’s
(kyut-to) and the number 9 in Japanese (kyū). The
The group inaugurated their activities with a
group was founded by 8 mothers aged 20 to 40
gathering on July 13. After the founding meeting
who are right in the middle of their child-raising
where people talked over ideas and activities,
years.
mothers listened intently to Sakamoto Fujie, born
Member Kayo Koike is a resident of Tanabe
in 1924, the oldest practicing nurse-midwife in
with a two-year-old daughter. “Even an ordinary
Japan and founder of Sakamoto Childbirth Clinic
mom can have a lot to say about Constitutional
in
issues,” she says. She has been going to A9A
listeners enthralled as she talked about her
functions with various groups, but met very few
experiences as a nurse-midwife and mother
mothers of child-raising age. “And so” she decided
during WWII.
to found a group of her own, she says. Fellow
(Asahi Shimbun, Wakayama Edition, August 1
founding member Mari Masago says, “Currently
2014)
the Cabinet decision is in the news, and we are
being told that nothing will change, but who
knows what will happen in ten or twenty years’
Tanabe.
90-year-old
Sakamoto
held
her