May 31, 2018
Peace activists on May 30 started construction of a peace museum on private land located in the middle of the Ground Self-Defense Force Yausubetsu Training Field in Hokkaido.
The construction site is in Betsukai Town, eastern Hokkaido, and was owned by the late farmer Kawase Hanji. Kawase refused to sell his land to the SDF and protected his farm.
In order to pass down Kawase’s wish for peace and land rights to future generations, some local residents two years ago set up a committee to build a peace museum there and collected donations. The facility will be a single-story wooden building with an area of 144 square meters.
Members of the committee on the day held a ceremony to pray for construction safety at the site. Committee chief Urafune Saburo said to the participants, “This is the fruit of efforts made by all of you gathered here with the committee members.”
Miyake Shinichi, who was the committee chair at the time of its foundation, said that he is sure that Kawase would be pleased. Another committee member, a 36-year-old farmer living in Kushiro City, said that he is happy to see the launch of the construction work and that the committee will consider what materials should be exhibited in the museum.
The SDF carried out live fire exercises on the training field and the sounds of gunfire were heard at Kawase’s site during the ceremony.
Past related articles:
> US Marines use white phosphorus shells at Yausubetsu [June 5, 2010]
> Stop live-fire training at Yausubetsu! [November 27 & December 1, 2008]
The construction site is in Betsukai Town, eastern Hokkaido, and was owned by the late farmer Kawase Hanji. Kawase refused to sell his land to the SDF and protected his farm.
In order to pass down Kawase’s wish for peace and land rights to future generations, some local residents two years ago set up a committee to build a peace museum there and collected donations. The facility will be a single-story wooden building with an area of 144 square meters.
Members of the committee on the day held a ceremony to pray for construction safety at the site. Committee chief Urafune Saburo said to the participants, “This is the fruit of efforts made by all of you gathered here with the committee members.”
Miyake Shinichi, who was the committee chair at the time of its foundation, said that he is sure that Kawase would be pleased. Another committee member, a 36-year-old farmer living in Kushiro City, said that he is happy to see the launch of the construction work and that the committee will consider what materials should be exhibited in the museum.
The SDF carried out live fire exercises on the training field and the sounds of gunfire were heard at Kawase’s site during the ceremony.
Past related articles:
> US Marines use white phosphorus shells at Yausubetsu [June 5, 2010]
> Stop live-fire training at Yausubetsu! [November 27 & December 1, 2008]
