 A village in Kochi comes together to defend Article 9 "Irrespective of difference in thoughts and beliefs, let's stand for peace from our small village!" Towason Village with the population of about 3,560 in Kochi Prefecture has come together to form its "Article 9 Association". On February 18 at the association's inauguration meeting, the village head, the head of the local boards of education, seven out of fourteen village assembly members, and 77 villagers were present. They elected the village's influential people, including the local branch head of the Japan Agricultural Cooperatives, young men's association chair, women's association chair, and the senior citizens' club president, to be representatives of their Article 9 Association, and resolved to collect signatures from more than half of the village population in support of the article. Quoting a phrase of the preamble of the Japanese Constitution "never again shall we be visited with the horrors of war through the action of government," Village Head Sakai Setsuo said, "To this end, the Constitution has Article 9." (end) |