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Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Citizens in rally calls for defense of Constitution and Education Law

On January 21, the day after Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro called for the revision of the Fundamental Law of Education and the enactment of a national referendum bill on procedures for a constitutional revision, in his general policy speech at the start of the ordinary Diet session, about 2,000 citizens braved a snowfall to attend the January 21 rally in Tokyo entitled, "Let's defend the Constitution and foil adverse revision of the Fundamental Law of Education."

About 30 organizations, including the Tokyo Teachers and Staff Union (Zenkyo-affiliate) and the New Japan Women's Association-Tokyo sponsored the rally.

Shinagawa Shoji, a life member of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai), one of Japan's three major business organizations, was the main speaker.

Stating, "After I was demobilized at the end of WWII, I read the draft Constitution. I thought that nothing is better than this draft that expressed the people's in-depth determination that Japan shall never again launch a war," he called on participants to act in defense of the pacifist Constitution.

A worker from Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. reported that since the government eased its ban on arms exports last year, the corporation's executive board tightened security measures and forced workers to submit a pledge that they would not make public corporate secrets on defense-related matters.

A teacher who has filed a suit calling on the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education to withdraw its directive to punish teachers who refused to stand up before the "Hinomaru" flag or sing "Kimigayo" at school ceremonies, said that similar attacks have been revealed one after another.

Participants adopted an appeal calling on unionists and citizens to make every possible effort to block the adverse revision of the Constitution and the Fundamental Law of Education.

Three Japanese Communist Party lawmakers, the mayor of Kunitachi City in Tokyo, and the Tokyo Committee of the Social Democratic Party sent messages to the rally.
-Akahata, January 22, 2006