Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2015 September 16 - 29 [POLITICS]

To disregard the Constitution means to ignore the general public

Akahata “current” column

In the year that the postwar Japanese Constitution came into effect, Ozaki Yukio, who is still considered the “God of constitutional politics”, published a book with the aim of changing Japan into a nation of constitutional government by increasing public knowledge and awareness of the Constitution and the basic concept of democracy.

Ozaki wrote this book with the great hope of increasing the political awareness among the younger generation. In the section, “What is democracy?”, Ozaki stated that it is difficult to give a certain definition to the word, democracy, as it can be interpreted in various ways. But at the same time he wrote that the basic concept of democracy is formulated based on the demand for liberty, equality and the right to live.

Ozaki noted that the mission of democracy is to fully guarantee and realize that demand, which should be accomplished by people themselves. This statement pertains to what is happening right now in Japan.

“We are thinking about our nation’s democracy and future independently. That’s why we are now joining with others in actions,” said Okuda Aki who is a member of a university students’ group called, SEALDs, when he was called to a central public hearing held by the Upper House Special Committee on the government-drafted war bills.

Criticizing the war bills as unconstitutional, students, scholars, and citizens stood up against the bills. Their fight spread to include the entire Japanese people’s struggle to protect the Constitution which has contributed to creating peaceful Japan. However, the government strongly adhered to its agenda of bulldozing through the bills. Disregarding the Constitution is tantamount to paying no attention to the general public and ignoring the very basis of the concept of democracy.