ELIMINATE NUCLEAR WEAPONS! MORE MOVEMENTS OVER THE ADVERSE CURRENT!
The 18th Scientists’ forum of 2005 World Conference against A&H Bombs was held on August 1, 2005, at Nihon University, Tokyo. The forum has been held as a related event to the world conference. This time 150 participants of scientists, peace activists and citizens attended throughout Japan.
After the addressing speech of Mr. Koyama (film director), Mr. Niihara (nuclear problem researcher) reported “the nuclear strategies of the USA, 60 years from atomic bombs dropped into Hiroshima and Nagasaki”. Criticizing the Bush Administration’s dangerous strategies which strengthen preemptive attacks to countries of the third world and coincidently develop a new type of nuclear arsenals such as one penetrating the earth, he stressed that more consolidated world opinion of nuclear elimination could be crucial to isolate the Bush Administration.
Prof. Weeramantry (ex-Judge of Intl. Court of Justice) gave a special address under the title “The illegality of atomic weapons and responsibilities of scientific workers”, where, he asserted, atomic weapons are against the laws relating to 1) human rights, 2) genocide, 3) environmental protection, 4) involvement of third county, 5) causing people merciless and unnecessary pains, 6) attacking indifferently citizens and soldiers, and scientists must teach political leaders and the future-building youth.
Ms. Yoneda (history of women) asserted that the spirit that the Convention for Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination of Women adopted in 1979 advocates should play the role very in peace movements. Ms. Saito (actress) reported her elaborate investigation on activities of KINOKO NO KAI (Association of A-Bomb-Caused Microcephaly Children and Their Parents) and life histories of families, where she introduced an association member who calls the state compensation, seeking not a favor but exercising its responsibility to war victims.
ACTIVITIES OF RESEARCH COMMITTEES AND GROUPS
The JSA headquarters organize a number of research committees and groups undertaken
on a nationwide scale, which are encouraging the members across th country
1) THE ACTIVITIES OF THE RESEARCH COMMITTEE OF SYMBIOTIC ECONOMIES
The committee has been established this year to accede and further the contents obtained in session “investigation on economic basis supporting the sustainable society” held in the 15th Comprehensive Scientific Study Convention at Ritsumei-Kan University, Kyoto, 2004.
Regular meetings have been organized every month in Kyoto City as under the following themes: 1) the theory of another world, 2) the concept of symbiotic economies, 3) two capitalisms – American and European ones – seeking for sustainable and peaceful co-living society, 4) requirement for a mature society, 5) sustainability and energy question, 6) evaluation of Chinese economy. The committee accepts application from not only JSA members but nonmembers.
2) ARE YOU ANXIOUS ABOUT “FOOD AND AGRICULTURE”? WHY DON’T YOU JOIN THE RESEARCH COMMITTEE OF FOODSTUFF PROBLEMS?
There is a chronological table on “the strangeness of children’s health”. It was brought up by Prof. Masaki (Prof. Emeritus of Nippon Sports Science Univ.) in his report “The present state of the mind and the body of children and their diet”, which was given this year at the first regular research meeting of the research committee. The participants showed deep interest in this table.
In around 1970, children that were not able to walk on a hike, had not straight back, yawned even in the morning, soon got tired, developed an allergy, had a low temperature, had poor eyesight and so on were seen as not a few social phenomena. The children at that time now grew up to be in their thirties or forties.
The research committee becomes to have a deep understanding that the mind and the body of children and their diet are sharply reflected in the foodstuff, agriculture and further fundamental problems in modern Japan. The food problems have various sides which only the JSA can approach to solve from various angles by the use of scientific results concerned.
The research committee organized a special feature “Worries about the body, food and agriculture” in “JOURNAL OF JAPANESE SCIENTISTS” December 2004, which takes up problems such as safety and confidence of food, zoonosis and paintings of children’s tables. In daily life rice is apt to be forgotten. However, the rice and rice cultivation in Japan are put in a serious situation. The articles try to analyze the situation and give a grave warning for that situation.
The research committee expects the people in various fields, especially medical doctors, school teachers, lawyers and dieticians to join and think of “Food and Agriculture”.
3) THE ACTIVITIES OF THE RESEARCH COMMITTEE OF UNIVERSITY PROBLEMS
The Japanese national universities changed to the university corporations since the last year (2004). Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has established graduate law schools and also has a plan to establish graduate schools for special occupations. The research committee for university problems held the “University Forum”, where reported some problems raised in the above mentioned circumstances. In the 15th Comprehensive Scientific Study Convention held at Kyoto, discussion was focused on what happens in present reorganization of the national universities. The discretionary power to manage freely is not given to the universities, but research and education are separated and the research sections are split and rebuilt along with the national plan for science and technology to contribute to state strategies and private companies. Even involved members of university stuff, however, could not understand the relationship among situations, nor are at the mercy of such a stream.
The June meeting of the JSA executive councils asked the committee to study the democratic process of decision-making and distribution of the research grant in the university corporation. The committee will promote the research of these problems with the cooperation of the branches.
The central committee of education submitted the report “The education of graduate school in new age – the establishment of international attractive graduate school education” on September 5. The report mentions that the graduate school education in new age should concentrate on training talented persons with cooperation of industry and accord with the third stage “Basic Plan for Science and Technology” for the purpose of rebuilding Japan as a science-technologically creative nation.
DISTRICTS AND
BRANCHES' ACTIVITIES
The JSA consisits of 47 branches which are grouped into
9 districts, and they are independently
and/or cooperatively carrying out
their activities in addition to the headquarters' ones
1) THINKING OF A SO-CALLED “YASUKUNI SHRINE” QUESTION
Yasukuni Shrine, located in central Tokyo, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to soldiers and civilians in army who died during the past wars in the name of the emperor, Tenno. Until the end of the last war (World War II), Yasukuni Shrine was spiritual mainstay of militarism and wars of aggression, but after the war, it became changed, e.g. the former Prime Minister Hideki Tojo and other Class-A war criminals venerated as ‘martyrs’ to the emperor’s wars enshrined there. Since Yasukuni Shrine’s true mission is to declare that the Pacific War as an avoidable wars and the US is to blame for the outbreak of the Pacific War, visits of a leading figure of the political circle basically amount to governmental endorsement of the argument that the past Japan’s wars of aggression were ‘just’ wars.
The Kyoto branch organized a regular meeting on July 16 in Kyoto City, where Dr. Iguchi (ex-president of Kyoto Pref. Univ.) gave a lecture on the above theme. He analyzed the history of Yasykuni Shrine and its political role before and after the last war. He pointed out as follows; 1) Japanese shrines normally perform religious services for the departed souls of their ancestors, but Yasukuni Shrine were aimed at establishing National Shintoism (patriotic sentiment) and sacred to the spirits of those who laid down their lives for the country, especially for contributing to inaugurating the Meiji Tenno’s government. 2) All the shrines were controlled by the Ministry of Home Affairs, while Yasukuni Shrine was done by the Army and Navy. 3) Japanese shrines usually enshrine its chief god (normally only one), but in Yasukuni Shrine’s discretion “gods” enshrined had been on the increase, e.g. the number of gods was 380,000 in April of 1945 and then increased to 2,470,000 in 1950s. In 1978, the class-A war criminals were finally enshrined together as described above. It is therefore clear that Yasukuni Shrine has played as a publicity agent for Empire ideology on the basis of a large financial support.
< The following was taken from JSANOW #168 >
Premier Koizumi, don’t go to Yasukuni Shrine!
Glorifying Japan’s wars of aggression, Prime Minister Koizumi goes to Yasukuni Shrine every year, as if Japan’s war was in accord with the international law, although the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (Tokyo Tribunal) held May 1946 – November 1948, judged 24 Class-A war criminals, including ex-Premier Hideki Tojo who commenced the Pacific war, as guilty of planning, preparing, and exercising the war of aggression, who were responsible for committing crimes against peace and humanity. However, Yasukuni Shrine, denouncing the Tokyo Tribunal as a unilateral embodiment of the allies’ aim to retaliate against Japan, enshrines the Class-A war criminals as heroes who devoted their lives for the sake of the Emperor Showa. Basically Mr. Koizumi is siding with Yasukuni’s campaign to glorify the war. First of all, he must recall the governmental archives, in which described is what Japan internationally promised as a condition for Japan’s return to the international community. It is as follows. The 1945 Potsdam Declaration, which Japan accepted, urges Japan to punish war criminals. Also, under Article 11 of the 1952 San Francisco Peace Treaty, Japan promised to accept the judgments of the Tokyo Tribunal, and to carry out the sentences imposed thereby upon Japanese nationals imprisoned in Japan.
Yasukuni Shrine states its view of history which glorifies Japan’s past wars as follows. Japan tried to avoid being colonized by the Western powers and to develop national power equal to theirs. Japan exercised extreme patience against pressure from the US and others that began to treat Japan as a nuisance, as well as against China’s fierce anti-Japanese campaigns. Japan sincerely wanted the US to recognize its right to invade and dominate China and ensure that Japan can receive oil and other military supplies that are necessary for prosecuting war. However, the US demanded that Japan stop the invasion and withdraw from China. This outrageous demand was made with a view to compelling Japan to start a war. But never could we accept the US’s hard-line demands aimed at suffocating the Japanese nation. Furthermore, the US President Roosevelt sought to compel Japan to declare war in his hopes to get out the great US depression as well as to overcome the anti-war sentiments in the US public that had hampered the US going to the war with Germany in cooperation with other countries. Therefore, we were not without means to avoid the war. For instance, we could have given up all vested interests, and returned to the Japan of before the Sino-Japanese War (1894 - 1895). But it would have meant losing the war without fighting. So Japan, a small country in the Far East, stood up against the great powers and entered the Greater East Asia War (term which was used by the Japanese military government to misrepresent the reality of the war of aggression, normally called Pacific War). With the survival of the country and nation at stake, our 100 million people fought with heroic resolve. This was a war for survival and self-defense. Namely, the US was the main culprit, the one that started the Pacific War and caused a great scourge to Asia and the Pacific region, saying that Japan was no responsible for it. Therefore, Yasukuni Shrine regards the war dead in this avoidable war as heroes who dedicated their lives to a just and righteous war and honors their brilliant achievements in war, among which the Class-A war criminals are especially treated for glorifying the war.
Its view on wars is in contravention to the verdict given by the international community to the Japanese wars. This shrine, which is playing a special role that goes beyond being a mere religious institution, declares that their mission is to propagate its view on wars among the Japanese public. Although Premier Koizumi is trying to justify his visit to Yasukuni Shrine by repeating his remarks that he has no intention to do anything other than to mourn the war dead, the Shrine glorifies the past wars of aggression as its very mission. Should he show his wards of remorse over the past colonial rule and aggression, he must immediately stop going to the Shrine! (S. YUASA: JSANOW #158)
2) JSA CONSTITUTION FORUMS IN TOTTORI AND HYOGO
The JSA Tottori branch held “JSA Constitution Forum in Tottori” on the occasion of the branch general assembly on July 2. In Tottori Prefecture, two events to discuss the Japanese constitution have been organized, that is, a lecture meeting on May 27 with main speaker Mr. Sataka (critic) for preparation to establish Tottori Article 9 Society, and a lecture meeting on June 27 with invited speaker Prof. Komori (Secretary General, Article 9 Society). This forum was to study problems concerning the Constitution and the progress of approach to those with invited speaker Prof. Hamada (Tottori Col.), who are eagerly trying to enhance a local society for Article 9 established in February to all area of Tottori Prefecture.
The Hyogo branch held a forum “Mutually supporting Articles 9 and 24 – pacifism and equality between sexes and individual dignity” on July 30, Kobe City. In first address “Revision of Article 9 and dangerous intention against the protection of human rights – peace and human rights”, Prof. Kamiwaki (Kobe Gakuin Univ.) reported recent movements of arguments as follows: 1) deterioration of the right to peacefully exist along with revision of Article 9 as the justification of practical situations beyond reinterpretation of the Constitution that the state government hitherto has adopted and the use of right of collective defense, 2) restriction of human rights by after-the-fact justification of “pain-involving reform” for the neoliberalistic global economy, 3) to make inefficient the right to exist declared in Article 25, 4) to consolidate the nation through nationalism, for instance, compulsion of singing the national anthem “Kimigayo” (one of symbols of Imperial Japan) and corruption of the Fundamental Law of Education, and 5) to consolidate the society using the family system denying equality of the sexes and respect for the individual. In the second address “Gender backlash and revision of Article 24”, Prof. Hoonoti (Kobe Univ.) explained that the gender backlash has appeared in rightist’s journals since 2000 and intensified from time of regional institutions of the promoting ordinance for a gender-free society. In the Japanese Diet, from 2001, the assembly members as well have criticized home economics textbooks and pamphlets commissioned by the Ministry of Education, Sports, Culture, Science and Technology. These discussions lie in the stance “Gender equality denies the culture built basing on differences between the sexes and the traditional family system”, and “Taking priority of the individual over the family would upset the foundation of society”.
3) MEETING “UTILIZE THE FUNDAMENTAL LAW OF EDUCATION” HELD
The Kobe branch and three organizations for education held the meeting “Utilize the fundamental law of education” at Kobe with about thirty participants. Prof. Funaki (Kobe University) lectured on the Fundamental Law of Education (the law) and its revision. The law is a declaration of an important idea for education. The law, however, has been in the trend of amendment as the Constitution of Japan. There are three reports on the amendment, the report of the private advisory committee of the Prime minister (December 2000), the final report of the central committee of education (March 2003) and the interim report of the committee of the government party (June 2004). These reports mentioned that the purpose of education is not for character formation but for training talent for nationalism. The amendment of the law will accelerate the amendment of the Constitution. The reports of the central committee of education and the committee of the government party delete following terms in the preamble and text of the law, “the spirit of the Constitution”, “peace”, “work and responsibility”, “truth and justice”, “independent spirit” and “worth of person”. On the other hand they add following terms, “morality”, “spirit of public”, “love for one’s home province and nation”,” home education”, ”religious sentiment”. The provision of the compulsory education length (nine years) is also deleted. The text of “education doesn’t obey the unjustified control” changes to “educational administration doesn’t obey the unjustified control”. In the meeting Mr. Hirano (secretary to a member of the House of Representatives) reported the movement of the amendment of the law in the Diet. He pointed out that the bill of the amendment would be proposed in the Diet.
4) 20TH TOHOKU DISTRICT SYMPOSIUM “THE TRINITY REFORM AND TOHOKU REGIONAL SOCIETY”
The JSA Tohoku district (consisting of Aomori, Akita, Iwate, Yamagata, Miyagi and Fukushima branches) on September 3-4 held the above symposium, where 41 participants attended.
In the keynote speech “the trinity reform and local administration”, Prof. Shimizu (Fukushima branch) said that the reform itself has a historical meaning in the sense of the attempt to dissolve “the contortion” between the state and local governmental income and expenditure. As to abolition of the state contribution program to compulsory educational expenses, he suggested that, as we had no alternative than promoting it though problematic, each local government make something try.
In his address “Thinking of the relationship between the state and local governments concerning what the compulsory education ought to be”, Prof. Sato (Akita branch) said, such abolishment and diversifying schools and educations have no direct relationship, and each local government struggles to make special characteristics though restricted in the personnel cost under the state contribution program. Comparing the cases of changing to general finances and preserving the state contribution program, he asserted that the latter case has higher possibility to secure finance.
As to the social security cost, in his “What an impact does ‘the trinity reform’ make on the social security program?”, Prof. Karita (Miyagi branch) illustrates that Sendai City, under ‘the trinity reform’, reduced by 10 billion yens the budget relating to social security (2004) and shrank planning of new construction of health institutions for elderly, stressing the significance of preserving present social security program to support people’s security. Expressing his agreement with Prof. Karita’s opinion, Prof. Shimizu gave his view that the state must be basically responsible in this program.
As to the public enterprise cost, in his address “the trinity reform’ and public works”, Prof. Iwahana (Yamagata branch) concretely outlined what public enterprises such as of high way and Shinkansen (bullet train rail way), indicating the significance of carefully examining the meaning of decentralization accompanied with the reduction of government subsidies as well as building independent community. Remarking the public enterprise cost recently has been fairly reduced, which may destroy small and medium-sized firms, Prof. Shimizu commented that it needs to consider the reduction of the public enterprise cost protecting the regional economy.
5) SYMPOSIUM “THINKING OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF ENTERPRISES” IN HYOGO
The Hyogo branch, Hyogo Labor Research Institute and Hyogo Research Center for Quake Restoration jointly organized a symposium entitled above on July 23 in Kobe City.
The first speaker, Mr. Katoh, gave a talk on human rights violation incidents in Shin-nittetu (Nippon Steal Co.). “Iron is the Nation” was a slogan at the high growth period of the economy after the war. Thus, two big steel companies, Fuji and Yawata, merged to form the oligopolistic industry. The “Tekko-roren” (Federation of steel worker’s unions) which had struggled against Capital was forced to form IMFJC (Japan Council of Metal Worker’s Union), the nature of which was the capital-labor cooperation policy and the anti-Communism. In order to divide and rule workers, a part of workers including activists, in particular, were discriminated and transferred to the isolated workplaces. A long struggle against suppressing of worker’s rights achieved a victorious out-of-court settlement this year.
The second speaker, Mr. Morimoto who was a former motorman of JR, also reported the situation of workplaces at JR West after it was changed from the Japan National Railway. The company has been managed by the commercialism. Various types of signals are complicatedly set up while trains could go through a red light. Further, station staffs were forced to study at the taxi company if they were judged to be not good with offering service. Several unions exist at workplaces and can not pursue joint struggles for the establishment of labor-management relations.
The third speaker, Prof. Nishikawa (Emeritus Prof. of Kobe Univ. of Mercantile Marine), reported his analysis on Amagasaki’s JR derailed accident in April based on three points of view. First, on the way the accident developed: The only choice for keeping timetable after the revision based on the commercialism is to speed up and to exceed the speed limit, and no measures in case of emergency started. Secondly on problems of the company’s measures for safety: The company had never prepared measures in case of emergency and avoided its responsibility, and the speed-up was separated from the build-up of safety management. Thirdly on the structure to maintain the safety by the government and the society: Measures to prevent traffic accidents are insufficient and the third party to investigate accidents must be established.
The participants synthetically discussed enterprises’ responsibility. One topic was
the environmental damage caused by the building materials, asbestos, which were causing nationwide problems. For three months after the Great Hanshin Earthquake, high concentration of asbestos was exposed at around JR Sannomiya station. The fact tells that the asbestos exposure cause serious problems in the earth quake-stricken district. It was suggested that the national finance support is indispensable for removing asbestos.
6) 6.23 PEACE-GATHERING IN OKINAWA
The Okinawa branch organized the above meeting on June 23 at Ryukyu University, when Okinawan government decides “6.23” to be the memorial service day for the Okinawan war dead. The meeting was to recall the Okinawan battle, atomic bombings and 60 years after the war, which was quite significant under the movement of reverse revision of the Constitution. Three professors gave their invaluable lectures: 1) constitutional protection vs. constitutional revision (Prof. Kosaku, Ryukyu Univ.), 2) the description regarding to Okinawan battle in historical textbook (Prof. Takashima, Ryukyu Univ.), and 3) necessary movement against the marine US’s base construction in order to protect Okinawan dugong (Prof. Tsuchida, Okinawa Univ.), which was followed by enthusiastic discussion.
7) PROBLEMS FOR SCIENTIFIC WORKERS’ RIGHTS DISCUSSED
The research committee “Scientific workers’ rights” plans to publish “Ethical code for scientific workers” and “Declaration of scientific workers” in order to establish the scientific workers’ rights in every working place. The committee’s drafts and proposals have openly been discussed in the Association, which is to polish and refine them in the presence of membership. The 12th symposium was held on September 3 in Osaka, where the committee’s organizer (Dr. Asami, vice chair of the committee and Dr. Hamabayshi, chair of the committee) explained what the committee had discussed regarding to the drafts’ contents, which was followed by five invaluable comments to the ethical code and declaration. The comments are as follows: 1) to show scientists’ social responsibility, it is necessary to establish the right for democratizing research system, and simultaneously to democratize social system, 2) to enlarge the right-upheaval community for well-treating women, young and part-time scientists, 3) to take recognition of “absolute value” for human development, 4) to establish researchers’ social status, it is necessary to make clear their ethics and responsibility, 5) to take care of an absolute majority of scientific workers working in private enterprises, 6) to heighten scientists’ will to work as a worker on the basis of their own consciousness as a worker, 7) to make an environment for all scientists to be able to enjoy their humanistic life, and 8) to open all the educational and research system to the public and manage on the basis of autonomy and democracy, respectively.
ARTICLES OF
"JOURNAL OF JAPANESE SCIENTISTS"
The Journal of Japanese Scientists or NIHON
NO KAGAKUSHA (in Japanese) covering all the
scientific fields is monthly
published and distributed to all the members and other readers
Vol.40(No.9)(2005)
[Title-page message]
Fukuchi, Y.: 32,325 suicides and current labor reality
[Article]
Hirohara M.: The disaster problems and reorganization of local governments in Japan
[Special issue: Problems of the schoolbook authorization system in Japan]
Tanaka, F.: A history and perspective on authorization system of schoolbooks in Japan
Tsuruta, A.: The case of disqualification in textbook screening – Textbooks of home economics education in 1996
Samaki, T.: The new science textbook which catches nature abundantly and scientifically for elementary and junior high schools
[Essay]
Yamazaki, M.: Teaching engineering ethics: Ethics as a science
[Series: My graduate school days]
Fujita, S.: Only one necessary condition for scientist
[Review]
Abiko, S.: Road to Einstein’s theory of relativity
[Review]
Sokawa, Y.: Sprit of Russel-Einstein Appeal and Article 9 of the Japanese constitution
Vol.40(No.10)(2005)
[Title-page message]
Mukai, T.: Young people: The key to our future
[Article]
Kitamura, M.: 40 years of the Japan Scientists’ Association – Recall and prospect
[Special issue: The roll-back movement for environmental problem]
Hata, A.: Considering on the recent roll-back movement for environmental problem
Onozuka, H.: Consideringnon the roll-back movements for the toxic characters of dioxins and endocrine disrupters (II) – Are dioxins generated from the incineration of polyvinyl chloride?
Uezono, M.: Urging against the roll-back for climate change issue
[Letter]
Tanaka, Y.: What is there behind the adherence to the strange translation? – On the problem of misleading translation of the Science Academies’ joint statement on climate change
[Essay]
Yokohata, Y.: Which is Japanese ordinal names of animals should we use?
[Review]
Ise, H.: Social choice for decrease of environmental risks
[Review]
Nakajima, T.: The academic freedom and the role of labor unions in national university corporations – Based on my experience as a representative of workers in Nagoya University
[Review]
Matusi, Y.: The first decade of the Science and Technology Basic Plan
[From Laboratory]
Yokohata, Y.: Discriminatory Japanese animal names and faculty of education
Vol.40(No.11)(2005)
[Title-page message]
Ueno, T.: The problem on dams and its backgound
[Special issue: Towards a future society with respect for science, technology, culture and ethics]
Akashi, H.: Sciences and technologies in ‘the post rich and affluent society’
Hyodo, T.: Talent promotion policy for next generation’s science and technology
Usui, T.: Is the Earth environmental problem really a common issue for humankind?
Kameyama, S.: The characteristic and meaning of idea: man-nature co-living
[Essay]
Uno, K.: Contemporary issues of sex education: Bashing of sex education and Article 24 of the Constitution
[Review]
Namimoto, K.: On historical development and problems of textbook screening system
[Frontier]
Osada, Y.: Scientists forum of 2005 World Conference against A&H Bombs
[Letter]
Nakakoji, J.: GDP and Edo period