Japan Press Weekly

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2013 September 18 - 24 [PEACE]

10,000 people of faith agree to oppose Article 96 revision

A group of people of faith on September 19 announced that more than 10,000 religious figures expressed their support for the group’s statement which calls on them to object to relaxation of the revision procedural Article 96 in order to protect the war-renouncing Article 9.

At a rally held in the Diet building, the group reported that the number of supporters to the statement, which was issued in May, reached 12,219 as of September 17, successfully exceeding the group’s target of 10,000 supporters.

Representing the initiators of the action, Miyagi Tainen, head priest of Shogoin Temple in Kyoto, said, “Revision of Article 96 reflects Prime Minister Abe Shinzo’s intent to destroy the Japanese Constitution. We have to work hard to block a creation of a Japanese society in which people will eventually regret the constitutional revision.”

A Buddhist monk, who is a member of a civil group working to protect Article 9, shared his discovery that many young people in religious organizations think that Japan was forced to accept the current Constitution. It is an urgent task to persuade the younger generation that Article 9 is a global treasure, he stressed.

Takada Ken of the Coalition Against Constitutional Revision pointed out that what the prime minister is attempting is to create a situation in which the Constitution is in effect revised by changing the government’s constitutional interpretation. He expressed his determination saying, “I want to block Abe’s dangerous moves in solidarity with other Asian neighbors.”

Past related articles:
> Abe continues to seek revision of Article 9: constitutional scholar [July 11,2013]
> 441 young lawyers issue statement opposing constitutional amendment [July 3,2013]