November 12 & 14, 2023

The 2023 Japan Peace Conference took place on November 11 and November 12 in Kagoshima City (Kagoshima Pref.) connected online to 300 locations across Japan, calling for a Japan without U.S. military bases and for the abrogation of the Japan-U.S. military alliance agreement.

About 900 people proactively interacted with each other during the 2-day conference in a symposium as well as in eight workshops. They marched in a peace parade and appealed for an immediate stop to Israel’s attacks on Gaza in addition to turning Japan into a base-free country.

President of the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) Obata Masako gave the opening address on the first day and stressed the need to increase the movement to stop the ongoing attempt by the Japanese and U.S. governments to use the Nansei Islands, including Kagoshima, Okinawa and Amami, as military fortresses.

Son Kijong, secretary general of the Busan Solidarity for Peace And Reunification of Korea (SPARK), South Korea; Nina Potarska, coordinator in Ukraine Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF); Ludo De Brabander, spokesperson for the Belgian peace organization Vrede; and Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Tamura Takaaki delivered speeches in solidarity. Okinawa Governor Tamaki Denny and six Dietmembers of the JCP, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the Social Democratic Party, the “Reiwa Shinsengumi” party, and the Okinawa Whirlwind sent video messages in solidarity to the opening rally of the conference.

In the symposium “For building a peaceful, non-nuclear Asia-Pacific region” on the second day, Joseph Gerson, the president of the Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security, U.S.A; Lee Jun Kyu, senior researcher at the Institute for Unification and Peace Policy of Hanshin University, South Korea; Monaeka Flores of the Coalition for Peace and Justice, Guam; and Kawata Tadaaki, permanent representative of the Japan Peace Committee participated, as panelists. They all agreed on the fundamental principle that the international community should work to establish an order for global peace based on cooperation and coexistence.

At the closing rally, Lee Jun Kyu expressed his expectation that the Japanese antinuke peace movements will become a platform to establish a non-nuclear Asia-Pacific region. This year’s Peace Conference ended after confirming to take action to resist the major arms buildup which the Kishida government is promoting.