JCP publishes its 'Eighty Years of the Japanese Communist Party'

The Japanese Communist Party has published an updated version of its history that demonstrates its validity both at present and in the future.

JCP Chair Shii Kazuo called a news conference in the diet on January 16 to explain the general characteristics and main points of the "Eighty Years of the Japanese Communist Party."

Shii said that the "Eighty Years" is designed to clearly explain how the JCP has been playing its pioneering role in an indomitable manner and to show its ability to analyze the errors it has made and historical conditions it has had to undergo.

Shii said that the "Eighty Years" makes clear that what the JCP has achieved in the 20th century since its founding provides the power to help develop the future of Japan and the rest of the world in the 21st century. "We meant to emphasize that history lives in the present and the future," he said, adding that it looks at historical issues that have contemporary significance.

The "Eighty Years" consists of three periods: (1) JCP struggles in the prewar days; (2) Restart of JCP activity in the postwar era and the effort to overcome the a party split in the "1950 Problem"; and (3) The establishment of the JCP Program and the subsequent 40 years. Particularly, the third period is devoted to an analysis of Japan's political history and the JCP's role in it in each decade.

Explaining the characteristic points of the "Eighty Years," Shii made the following comments:

Referring to the JCP's struggle in the prewar days to replace the despotic rule of Tenno (the emperor) as the sovereign with democracy giving the people sovereign power, Shii emphasized, "This is not a thing of the past but has imperishable significance which lives in the present and will live in the future."

He also explained that for the prewar history, a methodical approach was used to assess the role of the Communist International (Comintern).

Shii said that new characteristics can be found in making a general statement about the JCP policy of sovereign independence. He said that JCP sovereign independence was established after undergoing tests and trials after the party split of 1950, and that this laid the foundations for the JCP advance achieved so far and of its international activities.

The establishment of the JCP Program and the subsequent JCP advances is described in detail concerning the following points: Scientific analysis of U.S. policy of aggression and interference, contradiction and crisis of LDP rule, application and development of the JCP programmatic line, Japan's political history and JCP's consistent role, and the development of organizational activity at the grassroots level.

Finally, Shii said that the JCP wants the "Eighty Years" to be read by not only JCP members and supporters but also by as many people as possible who want to review Japan's political history and rethink political parties as a document which records the history and role of a political party that moves history by addressing the fundamental political issues for Japan and the rest of the world.

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