39th Akahata Festival, the power to bring about changes amid historic turbulence

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39th Akahata Festival, the power to bring about changes amid historic turbulence
- Akahata editorial (Gist)

About 200 thousand people attended the 39th Akahata Festival that was held in a fine weather. Participants said that they had confidence in the changes taking place in the world as well as in Japan, and that the event was one of empowering. Participants were not only the audience at the speech by Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo and other political and cultural programs; they were also active participants in exchanges and discussions. They also enjoyed food and physical exercise. We hope that each participant had a good time during the three-day event as a participant contributing to making a success of the festival. We also hope that those who were unable to go to the Akahata Festival have been able to feel the atmosphere of the event by reading Akahata reports. We would like to express our gratitude to all those who cooperated in making the Festival a success.

Amid changes in the world as well as in Japan

This year's Akahata Festival was held for the first time in four years, during which major cataclysmic changes have taken place. In January 2004, the JCP adopted its new Program. In the political arena, Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro's cabinet ended its five and a half years in power and was replaced by one now led by Prime Minister Abe Shinzo.

After listening to the main speech by JCP Chair Shii Kazuo, the one-to-one discussion between JCP Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi and essayist Ebina Kayoko, and Fuwa Tetsuzo's lecture on "Scientific View," many commented that this year's Akahata Festival programs helped them increase their confidence in the role the JCP is playing in facing up to the historic changes and taking a lead in bringing about progressive changes.

JCP Chair Shii used his speech to unravel the deepening contradictions that Liberal Democratic Party government policies have revealed in the course of the change of prime minister, from Koizumi to Abe. He particularly focused on the three major problems of LDP government policies: (1) justifying the past Japanese war of aggression; (2) following policies subservient to the United States; and (3) giving priority to defending the interests of large corporations. The JCP chair said that LDP government policies are at an impasse over these issues, but despite many complexities, there have emerged hopeful changes toward the future. The audience was particularly moved by Shii's assertion that the JCP's strenuous efforts are playing an important role in developing the conditions for achieving social progress.

The one-to-one discussion between JCP Secretariat Head Ichida and Ms. Ebina was about people's wish for peace and the importance of a caring heart towards working people, touching the heart of the audience as a feature peculiar to the JCP.

In the lecture on "Scientific View," Fuwa said that the new JCP Program is a window on the world "in an era in which all countries are participating in affairs of the world that are rapidly changing. He said that the demise of the Soviet Union 15 years ago, which the JCP welcomed as the collapse of the colossal evil of hegemony, provided an opportunity for the world to revitalize itself. He also said that in the present-day world, where diplomacy should play a major role in dealing with various international issues, the LDP is unable to develop any sound strategy and that a major change in diplomatic policy can pave the way for a bright future.

Chair Shii said, "The world as well as Japan is on the threshold of a new era of historic turmoil that can bring about major changes." Let us have confidence in this view and make use of the vigor we obtain from the Akahata Festival in our activities from tomorrow.

Adverse revision of the Fundamental Law of Education and the next two major elections

The success of the Akahata Festival has brought to light the role the JCP is playing in confronting LDP government policies and in showing the road to Japan's progressive future.

The Akahata Festival coincided with the tense political situation in which the Abe Cabinet is planning to get the bill to revise the Fundamental Law of Education enacted in the current Diet session. The success of the Akahata Festival showed the people's firm determination to prevent the revision of the education law from being adversely revised.

Next year, we will fight two major nationwide elections, the simultaneous local election and the House of Councilors election. Let us use the successful holding of the Akahata Festival as the springboard for JCP victories in these two elections and do our utmost to bring about progressive changes in the future.
- Akahata, November 6, 2006