Japan Press Weekly

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2016 October 19 - 25 [JCP]

This week’s JCP international activities

Ogata talks with delegates of Vietnamese peace foundation

Japanese Communist Party Vice Chair Ogata Yasuo on October 19 held talks with the delegation of the Vietnam Peace and Development Foundation at the JCP head office in Tokyo.

The foundation organizes social gatherings, international meetings, and cultural activities on the theme of peace in collaboration with various civic groups and individuals.

In the talks, the foundation’s vice president, Pham Van Churong, expressed his hope for further development of the friendship and cooperation with many organizations in Japan.

Ogata referred to the sixth theoretical exchange meeting between the JCP and the Communist Party of Vietnam which was held in Vietnam in September. He also expressed his gratitude to pacifist groups in Vietnam for sending their delegates to the annual World Conference against A and H Bombs in Japan and for joining the Hibakusha-led signature campaign calling for the total elimination of nuclear weapons.

Koike attends ceremony marking 70th anniversary of Mindan foundation

Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira on October 21 attended a ceremony to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the Korean Residents Union in Japan (Mindan) which was held in Tokyo.

Along with the representatives of other political parties, Koike delivered a speech as a guest speaker. He noted that the anti-hate speech law, which was enacted in May due to non-partisan efforts, is a “big step forward”. Meanwhile, he referred to the fact that a former chairman of an anti-Korean group called Zaitokukai ran in the Tokyo gubernatorial race in July and gave hate speeches throughout his election campaign. “It is absolutely unforgivable to use an election to stir up racism among the general public. With the help of the newly-enacted law, the JCP will work together with concerned citizens to eliminate hate speech,” he said.

Koike also cited the historical fact that Japan’s Imperial government forcibly brought many Koreans to Japan under its colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula and that after World War II, those Koreans were deprived of their Japanese citizenship. He expressed his resolve to work across party lines for Korean residents in Japan to obtain local suffrage, saying, “In light of world trends and the spirit of the Japanese Constitution, it is only natural to guarantee permanent foreign residents the right to vote in local elections.”

The JCP lawmaker went on to stress that in order to promote the friendship between Korean and Japanese into the future, Japan needs to sincerely face up to its wrongdoings in the past and fight against any attempt to glorify and rewrite history.

Ichida attends Hungarian National Day reception

Japanese Communist Party Vice Chair Ichida Tadayoshi on October 21 attended the Hungarian National Day reception held at the Hungarian Embassy in Tokyo.

Ichida offered his congratulations to Attila Erdos, the deputy head of mission in the embassy, and had friendly talks with other attendees.