Japan Press Weekly

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2014 July 30 - August 12 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Don’t send our children to war: Japanese mothers

“We will not send our children to war!” The 60th Japan Mothers Congress took place on August 2 and 3 in Yokohama, with 13,400 people taking part from across the country.

On the first day, Obata Masako, director of the women’s section of the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren), delivered the opening speech on behalf of the organizing committee. Noting that the Abe Cabinet’s recent decision to authorize Japan to use the right to collective self-defense has been causing a great deal of anger and concern among the general public, she called on participants to strengthen movements to protect and make the most of the pacifist Constitution of Japan.

On the second day, a total of 38 workshops were held on various topics such as peace, child rearing, and women’s rights.

In a work session on peace and the Constitution, lawyer Ota Keiko, the session’s facilitator, reported that she launched activities to hold small study meetings at various places such as cafes and hospitals in a bid to allow people who pay little attention to politics learn about the Abe government’s move to undermine the Constitution.

Suzuki Mariko, a 33-year-old woman from Kanagawa’s Kamakura City, said, “I want to create an opportunity to talk about the Constitution together with other parents at the childcare center.”

Ueda Atsuko, 70, from Sakura City in Chiba Prefecture, said, “My father was killed in Myanmar during World War II without being provided with any medical attention. I’ve believed that the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Constitution is his will.”

The Congress unanimously adopted a special resolution demanding that the Cabinet respect Article 9 as well as retract its contentious decision.

Past related articles:
> Parents of SDF personnel oppose Abe’s decision on collective self-defense right [July 3, 2014]
> Abe Cabinet interferes with magazine’s article on State Secrecy Law [May 15, 2014]