2008 MARCH 5 - MARCH 11

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

2008 MARCH 5 - MARCH 11

Pro-constitutional revision lawmakers resolve to step up move to oppose Article 9 Association
In a bid to step up its drive to adversely revise the Constitution, the “Parliamentarian Group to Establish a New Constitution” has carried out a shakeup by adding Democratic Party lawmakers to the executive board.

JCP publishes plan to rebuild Japan’s agriculture
The biggest reason Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo gave for releasing the agriculture plan was that “Japan’s food self-sufficiency rate has dropped to 39 percent, the world’s lowest, driving Japan into a serious crisis in food and agriculture.”

Workers in Spring Struggle are demanding large corporations return a part of windfall profits to them
Even though the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) unions are showing restraint in demanding wage increases, it is justifiable for workers to demand more; they are only trying to get a tiny part of the enormous profits to be returned to workers.

POLITICS

- JCP calls for talks to normalize Diet proceeding

- Pro-constitutional revision lawmakers resolve to step up move to oppose Article 9 Association

- Why are LDP and DPJ lawmakers in a rush to form joint parliamentary groups?

AGRICULTURE

- JCP publishes plan to rebuild Japan’s agriculture

- JCP proposal to revitalize agriculture --Akahata editorial

DRUG INDUCED HEALTH DAMAGE

- Cut cozy ties between politicians, bureaucrats, and pharmaceutical company in order to eliminate drug-induced diseases! --Akahata editorial (excerpts)

OPPOSITION TO U.S. MILITARY BASES

- Organizing committee for Okinawan rally in protest against U.S. servicemen’s crimes formed

- JCP lawmaker offers to cooperate in struggle to block U.S. NLP facility on southern island