Japan Press Weekly

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2011 December 21 - 2012 January 5 [JCP]

JCP’s first seat in traditionally conservative disaster-hit region

In the assembly election of the disaster-hit Miyagi Prefecture in November, the Japanese Communist Party doubled its seats to four. Of them, one is the first JCP seat in the Ishinomaki City constituency, long considered a constituency in which “no one other than conservative candidates can win in elections.”

An independent Ishinomaki City Assembly member said, “Under the emergency conditions prevailing after the March 11 disaster, the JCP provided extensive support to disaster victims who had no access to support from local authorities. Residents in the election clearly highly evaluated the JCP’s activities.”

What he was referring to was the volunteer activities that the JCP carried out in the disaster-hit region to help disaster victims. After the 3.11 disaster, the JCP sent 7,000 volunteers from Tokyo, Chiba, and other prefectures to the devastated eastern part of Miyagi Prefecture which includes Ishinomaki and Kesennuma cities and Onagawa Town. The JCP also delivered immediately needed relief supplies, such as rice and vegetables, to more than 30,000 victims there.

A resident of a temporary housing complex in Ishinomaki’s Mangokuura district said, “The JCP is the only political party that offered emergency relief supplies. I really hoped that a JCP candidate in my constituency would win the election.” Another resident said, “Everyone in this housing complex agreed that the JCP is our only choice. It brought in necessary goods and its (prefectural assembly election) candidate Miura Kazutoshi tirelessly worked to assist disaster victims.”

Some cited the JCP stance toward issues related to nuclear power generation as a reason for the party’s advancement in the prefectural assembly election.

In Ishinomaki’s neighboring town, Onagawa, the Onagawa nuclear power plant is located. When the earthquake and tsunami hit the town, the plant’s external power supply system was severely damaged, and the plant was very close to facing the same situation as the Fukushima NPP.

A man running his own business near the Onagawa NPP said, “Many townspeople work at the Onagawa plant so it is hard to say anything against the plant. But a strong feeling was aroused that we don’t want to be another Fukushima and we don’t want the Onagawa plant here anymore.”

A local businessman pointed out, “Regardless of political party affiliation, most people here now oppose nuclear power generation. During the election campaign, only the JCP explained its clear policy on this issue. Under the situation that more and more people feel a sense of malaise about atomic energy, local residents wanted to replace the assembly’s chairwarmers with others.”

On December 20, in response to a request made by JCP representative Miura Kazutoshi at a prefectural assembly meeting, the governor visited the temporary housing complex at the Mangokuura district to have a meeting with residents. They expressed various demands during the twenty-minute meeting.

A resident of the complex said, “The JCP is in touch with the people and is ready to move when needed, a characteristic which is lacking in other political parties. Since these other parties receive government subsidies, they should work harder for the public.”