HEADQUARTERS
EXCUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING
It was held on March 5 in Tokyo, where they reviewed their activity and discussed the coming convention program, which was followed by enthusiastic discussion for developing their movement.
GATHERINGS FOR OBSERVING THE CONSTITUTION
The appeal calling for observing the Constitution had been published by Kyujo no kai (Conference for observing the 9 Article of the Constitution) in June 2004. In order to encourage the signature-collecting campaign for supporting the above appeal, the scientific workersf conference was then established in March 2005. A year-anniversary gathering was held in Tokyo on March 12, where Prof. Komori (Univ. of Tokyo) gave a commemorative lecture entitled gThe movement for observing the Constitution and the future activityh, which was followed by comments and discussions from the floor.
The Okayama branch held a forum for gArticle 9 of the Constitutionh on March 10 at Okayama University, which was done to commemorate the 40th JSAfs anniversary. There were four lectures: 1) Dr. Sokawa (editor-in-chief of JSAfs Journal): on Article 9 of the Constitution and scientists, 2) Dr. Matuoka (Mizushima Hospital): on my war experience, 3) Dr. Nakao: on the US military realignment and Japanese Self-Defense Forces, and 4) Dr. Yamaguchi (Okayama Univ.): on the aim at reforming the Constitution. Many discussions followed.
LOCAL ACTIVITIES IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH
1. OSAKA BRANCH
1) In the study group Contemporary capitalism held on February 23, Prof. Iwahashi (Hannan Univ.) discussed Japanese economy in 2006.
2) The study group Philosophy organized a meeting on February 24, where Prof. Ajisaka (Emeritus Prof. of Kansai Univ.) gave a lecture gGender and historical materialismh.
3) The Kansai-areafs colloquium for scientific workers in private enterprises was organized on March 5, where Dr. Nakamura (Osaka branch) gave a serial seminar on the liquefaction of woods cultivated in a biomass and its utilization for useful chemical substances.
2. KYOTO BRANCH
The branch and the research committee for co-evolution economics jointly organized a lecture meeting opened to the public on March 5 in Kyoto City, where Dr. Shindo (vice president of JAALA) gave a lecture on the title gSocial reformation waves developing in the South American continent: Thinking of the background of the leftist governments established one after anotherh.
3. HOKKAIDO BRANCH
The branch organized its councilor meeting on March 5 at Hokkaido University, where they discussed 1) 40th branchfs anniversary event, 2) reform of the Constitution, 3) scientific workersf rights and status, and 4) coming annual convention, which was followed by a research forum chaired by Prof. Terui (Kitami Tech. Inst.) on the title gContemporary theater system in Germanyh.
4. MIYAGI BRANCH
The branch held a lecture meeting for citizens on March 7 in Sendai City, where Dr. Nishizaki (Miyagi branch) gave a talk on the title gDaily life in an environmentally friendly housingh.
5. ISHIKAWA BRANCH
At a regular meeting on March 11, Prof. Yoshimoto (Nagoya Univ.) gave a seminar entitled gThinking of the great Tokai-Nankai earthquake on the lesson from the great Sumatran earthquakeh, which was followed by a get-together meeting.
6. TOKUSHIMA BRANCH
The branch organized a research exchange meeting on March 13 at Tokushima University, where Wakaizumi (Tokushima Univ.) gave a talk, which was followed by a free discussion meeting.
7. TOKYO BRANCH
1) A Machida science forum was organized on March 14, where Dr. Sakamaki (Tokyo branch) made a talk on his experience of social reform movement in Mongolia (the Mongolian Peoplefs Republic).
2) The individual membersf meeting was held on March 21, where they took a tour to the places related to war-historic interest (former Military Academy and Imperial HQ, Military Accounting Academy, and Military Medical Col.), which had belonged to the Tokugawa Shogunfs villa residence, and now are utilized for Ministry of Defense, Tokyo Womenfs Med. Col., and Natl. Inst. for Infectious Disease.
3) The 40th mini-symposium for intellectual property rights was held on March 25, where Dr. Osada (Tokyo branch) gave a commemorative lecture on the scientific and technological development and intellectual property rights, which was followed by presenting a report on the past mini-symposia.
MOVEMENTS AGAINST THE US MILITARY REALIGNMENT
On February 24-26, more than three hundred activists all over Japan shared their experiences in the anti-US military base movements in a meeting in Naha City in Okinawa, which was sponsored by the Central Action Committee against the Japan-US Security Treaty and the Japan Peace Committee. The meeting was held with the aim at increasing campaigns against the plan to strengthen functions at the US bases in Japan. It is quite important to develop the movements with local governments to block the Japan-US plan to strengthen the US bases in Japan for permanent use, and also develop the forces demanding the dismantlement of the US bases and the abrogation of the Japan-US Security Treaty to take the lead in this movement.
A participant from Iwakuni City of Yamaguchi Prefecture criticized the governmental plan to relocate a US carrier-based airwing to the US Marinesf Iwakuni Air Station, a move that will combine the US Navy and Marine Corps with the Iwakuni base as a pillar of the realignment of the US Forces in Japan and stronghold for invasion forces. Anti-base movements all over Japan expressed their solidarity with the Iwakuni movement that had been working for the successful rejection of the plan in the Iwakuni citizen referendum on March 12, which was supported by more than 90% of the voters.
Reports were then made from around the country, including Zama and Sagamihara in Kanagawa Prefecture, where many citizens are taking part in the campaign: Yokohama in the same prefecture where opposition is growing to the plan to homeport a US nuclear carrier: and Nago in Okinawa Prefecture where a tenacious movement has been going on for nine years against the construction of a new US base.
Analyzing the real aims of the US military realignment and its consequences, the alignment plan is designed to remodel the US forces with more firepower and mobility in order to carry out the preemptive attack strategy, in which the Japanese and the US forces will act in one-body militarily, resulting in that realignment plan will help the US Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines stationed in Japan to substantially increase their strike capacity as a combined force. Referring to the plan to strengthen the US bases in mainland Japan, particularly plans to establish a new command at the US Camp Zama and to deploy a nuclear aircraft-carrier to the US Yokohama Naval Base in Kanagawa Prefecture. Also referring to the plan to construct a new base along with the coast of Henoko, ostensibly as a substitute for the US Futenma Air Station which will be closed, its construction is much more problematic, since the new base construction entails problems such as gwill be permanenth gwill incomparably increase the strike capabilities of the Marinesh, which is not concerned about the safety of residents and the need for preserving the important local environment necessary for citizensf development in the future.
The key to winning victory in the movement against the US military realignment is to encourage the movement of local governments in the presence of citizens irrespective of political stances. (S. YUASA)