July 15, 2009
We celebrate the 87th anniversary of the Japanese Communist Party today amid political turmoil developing in the aftermath of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election that prompted the prime minister to set the date for the dissolution of the House of Representatives for a general election.
The JCP began its activities soon after its founding on July 15, 1922, to oppose the war of aggression, which Japan was preparing to launch at the time, and to relieve the people of economic hardships in times of depression. It also committed itself to paving the way for a new society in which the people are the sovereign.
We take pride in the fact that the JCP for the past 87 years has led a relentless struggle for a bright future, supported by our forerunners who have played pioneering roles in defiance of many difficulties.
JCP is present where people are experiencing hardships
In the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election, although the JCP suffered a setback, it received about 700,000 votes, more than what it obtained in the previous election in 2005.
The JCP in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election made a valuable advance in terms of the number of votes in comparison with the House of Councilors proportional representation election two years ago, while the other parties remained at the same level of votes obtained (Democratic, Komei parties) or marked a setback (Liberal Democratic Party). Only the JCP increased the number of votes cast in comparison to the number of votes obtained in the proportional representation part of the House of Councilors election in 2007. This suggests that it is possible for the JCP to make an advance in the upcoming House of Representatives general election.
Despite the various challenges and difficulties, the JCP in the past 87 years has been able to advance because it has always stood for the interest of the people and made efforts to resolve hardships without losing sight of the future.
The JCP is always present where people need help in resolving hardships. This is the party’s founding principle, which we are invoking in various parts of the country to resolve problems caused by the deep economic recession and the crisis of living.
Under the “structural reform” policy promoted by the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic and Komei parties, large corporations, prompted by the economic crisis that began last year, have carried out massive job cuts. The government has forced the public to accept cutbacks in social services. The JCP has confronted all these attacks with people power. It has been pressing the government to take emergency action in defense of people’s livelihoods. JCP Chair Shii Kazuo and other party leaders made representations to Toyota, Cannon, and the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren).
JCP members in many parts of the country are also working hard to help resolve problems of people who are forced out of work and even places to live. “Ask the JCP to solve problems” is a catchphrase used by many people as well as the media.
Regarding the issue of peace, the JCP is taking a lead in opposing war and getting nuclear weapons abolished by exerting its true capability that made it possible for the party to stand firm against war when Japan was expanding aggression in other countries.
The United States has Barack Obama as its new president. In his Prague Speech in April, Obama stated that achieving “a world without nuclear weapons” is a national goal of the United States.
His remarks caught the JCP’s attention. JCP Chair Shii Kazuo sent Obama a letter calling on him to take the initiative to start negotiations aimed at abolishing nuclear weapons. He later received a letter of response from the U.S. government.
At their recent summit meeting in Italy, G-8 leaders agreed to achieve “a world without nuclear weapons.”
In a changing world, the JCP will make every effort to get nuclear weapons abolished.
For a new politics
Until the end of the era of militarist Japan, many JCP members braved the repressive rule of the brutal Tenno (imperial) government, to continue to oppose the war of aggression and call for the establishment of the principle that sovereign power resides with the people. They had the firm conviction that the war of aggression was doomed to fail and that the day will come when the Japanese people have a new society in which they have the sovereign power. These objectives were achieved with the establishment of the new Constitution after the war.
Today, the LDP policies that have prevailed in Japan for so many years are no longer tenable. A new era is opening and people are exploring a new direction for Japanese politics. The result of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election is one such example. We are convinced that a JCP advance in the upcoming House of Representatives general election will accelerate this trend.
- Akahata, July 15, 2009
We take pride in the fact that the JCP for the past 87 years has led a relentless struggle for a bright future, supported by our forerunners who have played pioneering roles in defiance of many difficulties.
JCP is present where people are experiencing hardships
In the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election, although the JCP suffered a setback, it received about 700,000 votes, more than what it obtained in the previous election in 2005.
The JCP in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election made a valuable advance in terms of the number of votes in comparison with the House of Councilors proportional representation election two years ago, while the other parties remained at the same level of votes obtained (Democratic, Komei parties) or marked a setback (Liberal Democratic Party). Only the JCP increased the number of votes cast in comparison to the number of votes obtained in the proportional representation part of the House of Councilors election in 2007. This suggests that it is possible for the JCP to make an advance in the upcoming House of Representatives general election.
Despite the various challenges and difficulties, the JCP in the past 87 years has been able to advance because it has always stood for the interest of the people and made efforts to resolve hardships without losing sight of the future.
The JCP is always present where people need help in resolving hardships. This is the party’s founding principle, which we are invoking in various parts of the country to resolve problems caused by the deep economic recession and the crisis of living.
Under the “structural reform” policy promoted by the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic and Komei parties, large corporations, prompted by the economic crisis that began last year, have carried out massive job cuts. The government has forced the public to accept cutbacks in social services. The JCP has confronted all these attacks with people power. It has been pressing the government to take emergency action in defense of people’s livelihoods. JCP Chair Shii Kazuo and other party leaders made representations to Toyota, Cannon, and the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren).
JCP members in many parts of the country are also working hard to help resolve problems of people who are forced out of work and even places to live. “Ask the JCP to solve problems” is a catchphrase used by many people as well as the media.
Regarding the issue of peace, the JCP is taking a lead in opposing war and getting nuclear weapons abolished by exerting its true capability that made it possible for the party to stand firm against war when Japan was expanding aggression in other countries.
The United States has Barack Obama as its new president. In his Prague Speech in April, Obama stated that achieving “a world without nuclear weapons” is a national goal of the United States.
His remarks caught the JCP’s attention. JCP Chair Shii Kazuo sent Obama a letter calling on him to take the initiative to start negotiations aimed at abolishing nuclear weapons. He later received a letter of response from the U.S. government.
At their recent summit meeting in Italy, G-8 leaders agreed to achieve “a world without nuclear weapons.”
In a changing world, the JCP will make every effort to get nuclear weapons abolished.
For a new politics
Until the end of the era of militarist Japan, many JCP members braved the repressive rule of the brutal Tenno (imperial) government, to continue to oppose the war of aggression and call for the establishment of the principle that sovereign power resides with the people. They had the firm conviction that the war of aggression was doomed to fail and that the day will come when the Japanese people have a new society in which they have the sovereign power. These objectives were achieved with the establishment of the new Constitution after the war.
Today, the LDP policies that have prevailed in Japan for so many years are no longer tenable. A new era is opening and people are exploring a new direction for Japanese politics. The result of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election is one such example. We are convinced that a JCP advance in the upcoming House of Representatives general election will accelerate this trend.
- Akahata, July 15, 2009
