LDP and DPJ field pro-Yasukuni candidates in House of Councilors election

   The pro-Yasukuni force, which says that Japan’s past war of aggression was a “just war,” is putting up like-minded candidates under the ticket of the Liberal Democratic Party or the Democratic Party of Japan in the upcoming House of Councilors election.

   The Japan Conference, the center of the pro-Yasukuni force, officially endorses Eto Seiichi, a former House of Representatives member and former Japan Conference Dietmembers Council general secretary who was readmitted to the LDP under Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s initiative, as well as Arimura Haruko, an incumbent House of Councilors member and the Japan Conference Dietmembers Council vice secretary general.

   Proudly acknowledging that he is a long-time comrade of Prime Minister Abe, Eto is publicizing his activities with Abe in a young Dietmembers association that attacked history textbooks. “I would like to play a part in building a new country, a project pushed forward by a full-fledged conservative government established for the first time in the past 60 years after the war,” he said.

   The Junior Chamber International Japan (JCI) that produced a DVD video glorifying the war has sent as candidates its vice president to the LDP and its former president to the DPJ.

   DPJ candidate Takatake Kazuaki in 2005, when he was the JCI president, produced the JC-draft constitution which calls for “an unbroken line of Emperors” as modeled on the Constitution of the Empire of Japan. Declaring that the existence of state is a prerequisite for human rights, the draft imposed the common duties of serving the nation and the community onto the public.

   By prescribing the “possession of armed forces,” this draft heralded the pro-Yasukuni force’s “draft constitution outline.”

   Takatake at that time said, “I drew up this draft based on the recognition that we must not put everything of Japan (history, tradition, and culture) in U.S. hands.”

   LDP candidate Nishida Shoji, running in the Kyoto constituency, is a member of the Japan Conference Local Assembly Members’ League established in November 2006. This group is calling for a movement to “defend families from the gender equality ideology” and vows to work to bring up youngsters in a healthy way so that they can have pride and love for the nation.

   In addition, the LDP put up candidates such as Konoike Yoshitada, Japan Conference Dietmembers Council director, and Katayama Toranosuke, Council vice chair. The LDP is fielding 26 pro-Yasukuni candidates, accounting for more than 30 percent of its candidates nationwide.

   The DPJ, for its part, is fielding six pro-Yasukuni candidates, including incumbent House of Councilors member Nishioka Takashi who is senior advisor of the Committee for Promotion of Fundamental Law of Education Revision set up by the Japan Conference Dietmembers Council.     - Akahata, June 4, 2007