Down with systems sacrificing someone: No Yasukuni or Nukes! 450 join protest

On August 13, 2011, 450 participated in a “Light Yasukuni Shrine with Peace!” meeting at the Zendentsu Kaikan hall in central Tokyo. “Nukes and Yasukuni” were discussed based on the “Post 3.11 East Asia” at a symposium joined by representatives from South Korea, the mainland Japan, Okinawa and Taiwan. HAN Hong-goo from South Korea suggested that the administration of President LEE Myung-bak has worked toward building more nuclear power plants as being safe in the country and has an ambition to secure a nuclear weapon behind his promotion of nuclear power. TAKAHASHI Tetsuya, professor of the University of Tokyo and philosopher, said, “The representatives from all the regions agreed to anti-nukes. Nukes and Yasukuni are systems to sacrifice communities and people for national interests. They have no hope for us. It is time for us to build a society in which nobody is sacrificed”. After the gathering, the participants marched the street with candles in hands in central Tokyo, saying, “No Yasukuni or Nukes!” in defiance of harassment of nationalists. (M) *Photo: The war-bereaved against enshrinement in Yasukuni


「犠牲を強いるシステム」ヤスクニも原発もいらない！～キャンドル行動に450人
　8月13日、東京・全電通会館で「平和の灯を！ヤスクニの闇へ」キャンドル行動が行われ、集会・デモと併せて450人が参加した。韓国・日本・沖縄・台湾の4地域代表によるシンポジウムでは、「3・11後の東アジア」をテーマに「原発とヤスクニ」が論じられた。韓国の韓洪九さんは、李明博政権が韓国の原発は安全として原発拡大にまい進していること、背後に核兵器確保の野望があることなどを指摘した。高橋哲哉さんは、「初めての議論だったが、4地域の意見が反原発で期せずして一致した。原発・ヤスクニは国家利益のために地域や人間に犠牲を強いるシステム。ここに希望はない。誰もが犠牲にならない社会システムを目指していこう」と語った。参加者は、右翼の嫌がらせに負けずに、キャンドルを手に「ヤスクニも原発もいらない」と夜の都心を行進した。（M）　＊写真＝遺影をもって行進する靖国合祀反対の遺族

Kobe: Campaign against “Osaka Bylaw for Coercing Kimigayo”

On August 9, 2011, several dozens of participants in a gathering of school teachers from all around Japan in Kobe campaigned against the bill for coercing Kimigayo, Japan’s controversial national anthem, in Osaka. They sang a song to call the Osaka Governor Hashimoto a “fascist” and appealed, “Down with authoritarianism of Governor Hashimoto and his party, the Osaka Restoration Association” and “Stop political intervention into education” (photo). 42 signed against the bill only in less than an hour, many of whom were junior high school and high school students who do not have a right to vote now but will be affected by the bill if it is passed. Some of them were youths in their 20s. Some of the participants in the campaign said, “I thought our appeal would be ignored, but people understood and signed after I explained the details carefully” and “Young people were very interested in this issue. I would like to continue this campaign”. (Johnny H)

神戸で「君が代強制 大阪府条例はいらん!」の署名活動
　8月9日、神戸の全国教育労働者交流集会に参加していたメンバー十数名が「君が代強制大阪府条例はいらん!」の署名活動をした。♪橋の下にファシスト 徹よ♪ の歌とともに、道行く人たちに「橋下徹府知事と維新の会の強圧政治を跳ね返そう」「教育現場への政治の不当介入を阻止しよう」と説いて回った（写真）。1時間たらずの行動だったが、42人分の「君が代」強制大阪府条例不成立要望の署名が集まった。しかも、その多くが、今は選挙権はないが、条例によって一番被害を受ける年代である中学生・高校生や20代の若者だった。今回はじめて署名活動をした参加者は「無視すると思っていたが、丁寧に話すと理解して署名してくれた」「若い人はよく聞いてくれた。これからもどんどん署名活動をしていきたい」と語った。（ジョニーH）

Grassroots organization: Some areas in Tokyo suburbs contaminated as seriously as in Chernobyl

The “Radiation Defense Project”, which is a grassroots group led by KINOSHITA Kota, journalist, measured soil radioactivity in 150 spots in the Tokyo metropolitan area and released the survey results on August 8, 2011. There are four highly contaminated spots equivalent to “Chernobyl Zone 3”, whose radioactive level is 185,000 to 555,000Bq/m2 so as to entitle a right to relocate to anyone who wishes to do so. There are 29 less contaminated spots equivalent to “Chernobyl Zone 4”, whose radioactive level is 37,000 to 185,000Bq/m2, in which residents are not required to evacuate but are subjected to strict health monitoring. The most shocking results were found in Misato City, Saitama Prefecture. The city has been known as a “hot spot” due to its high air dose rate and had a surprisingly high level of radiation, 919,100Bq/m2. This is equivalent to “Chernobyl Zone 2”, whose radioactive level is 550,000 to 1,480,000Bq/m2 so as to recommend all residents to evacuate”. (KUROGANE Ko) * Webpage of the “Radiation Defense Project” * Results of soil survey in Tokyo metropolitan area (pdf) * Video (OurPlanet-TV) * Photo: Released contamination map


首都圏でチェルノブイリ並み高濃度汚染地域～市民団体が発表
　ジャーナリスト・木下黄太氏の呼びかけで集まった市民で構成された「放射能防御プロジェクト」による首都圏150箇所の土壌放射能測定結果が、8月8日の記者会見で公表されました。検査結果ですが、首都圏でもチェルノブイリ事故の際の「第3区域」（185,000～555,000Bq/m2；希望者に移住の権利が与えられる）に相当する高濃度汚染地域が4カ所出ました。住民を避難させないが厳重に健康管理を行うべきとされる「第4区域」（37,000～ 185,000Bq/m2）相当は29もの場所に及んでいます。そして、最も衝撃的な検査結果が出たのが埼玉県三郷市です。ここは、原発事故の直後から既に空間線量がずば抜けて高い「ホットスポット」として知られていましたが、今回の検査では、なんと919,100Bq/m2という途方もない数値が出ました。これは、チェルノブイリ事故における「第2区域」（住民全員に避難勧告；550,000～1,480,000Bq/m2）に相当します。（黒鉄好）・防御プロジェクトHP　　・首都圏土壌調査結果（pdf）　　・動画（OurPlanet-TV）　　＊写真＝発表された汚染マップ

“I want to fight out the struggle against karoshi”: 5th NAKAJIMA Tomio Prize Award Ceremony

On August 7, 2011, the Dragon Fund to Eliminate Karoshi held the 5th NAKAJIMA Tomio Prize Award Ceremony in central Tokyo and awarded the prize to FUKIAGE Satoru (left on the photo) and Takako (right on the photo) who held the top management of a big business responsible for karoshi, death from overwork of their son. The venue of the ceremony was filled with 128 audiences. Mr. Fukiage said, “It is still hard for us to believe that we lost our son who entered a public company on the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. We would like to fight out the struggle against karoshi. We have to make it a thing of the past”. Ms. Fukiage commented, “Our son of 186cm and 96kg passed away suddenly. I remember him whenever I see a young man of the same height and size. We are determined to win this case in dispute”. (SUDA Mitsuteru) * Video (UnionTube)


「妥協せずとことん闘いたい」～第5回中島富雄賞授賞式開かれる
「過労死をなくそう！龍基金」は8月7日、第5回中島富雄賞授賞式を東京・葛飾で開催し、長男の過労死を受けて大手企業トップの賠償責任を初めて認めさせた父親の吹上了（さとる）さん（写真左）と母親の隆子さん（右）を、今年の中島賞として表彰しました。128人の参加で会場は満員となりました。中島代表から表彰状を受け取った了さんは「まさか東証一部上場の大企業に入って大事な子どもを亡くすとは。妥協せずにとことんまで闘いたい。日本から過労死を絶対になくさないといけない」、隆子さんは「186センチ96キロの息子が一瞬にして亡くなった。同じ背格好の子を街で見かけると息子を思い出す。最高裁で係争中であるが、がんばって闘っていく」と受賞の言葉を述べました。（須田光照）・動画（UnionTube）

Film “Barefoot Gen’s Hiroshima” released: Hiroshima’s memory overlapped with nuclear disaster

I had been less interested in films about the atomic bomb. Recently, I am interested in them again probably because the nuclear disaster in Fukushima overlaps with the bomb. “Barefoot Gen’s Hiroshima”, directed by ISHIDA Yuko, is a documentary film with a motif of a cartoon “Barefoot Gen” drawn by NAKAZAWA Keiji, which depicts his experience as a survivor of the atomic bomb dropped on the city when he was six. I had not seen any of animated or live-action films of the cartoon at all, or even read the original cartoon until I saw the film. However, I was fascinated with the narrative of Mr. Nakazawa about his experience of the bombing in this film. Then, I read the original cartoon and watched the animated and live-action films, and saw “Barefoot Gen’s Hiroshima” again. Then, I found the story of “Gen” represent Mr. Nakazawa’s experience even in the form of a fiction. Still, his own narrative was more realistic and moving. (KINOSHITA Masaaki) * Official website * The film has been released in Tokyo since August 6, 2011.

映画「はだしのゲンが見たヒロシマ」公開～原発事故に重なる広島の記憶

　原爆映画は遠い昔のことだと関心も薄らいでいた。それが再び気になりはじめたのは、原発事故が原爆と重なって見えてきたせいだろうか。石田優子監督「はだしのゲンが見たヒロシマ」は、漫画『はだしのゲン』の作者、中沢啓治が6歳のとき被爆した体験を柱に生い立ちを語ったドキュメンタリーである。『はだしのゲン』は、これまで劇映画やアニメ化などでよく知られていたが、筆者はそれらを含め原作も読んだことがなかった。しかしこの映画で、自らの被爆を語る中沢の実感のこもった語り口に魅せられてしまった。そこで原作や劇映画、アニメを見たあとで再びこの映画を見た。これによって中沢の分身ともいうべき『ゲン』のドラマが、フィクションながらも中沢の体験そのものだとわかった。それでもなお、中沢自身による体験談のほうがずっとリアルで胸に迫ってきた。（木下昌明）・公式サイト　＊映画は8/6より都内で公開

Fine without a Nuke Plant！: A Parade for Kaminoseki with Songs and Dances

A talks and live music event titled "Sparkling Future for Iwaijima, Kaminoseki: they'll be fine without a nuclear power plant!" was held in Tokyo on July 31 at Tokyo Women's Plaza Hall. Some 400 participants enjoyed talks by anti-nuclear plants activists Choichi Ujimoto, Hitomi Kamanaka, Kan Sugenami and Yutaka Osawa and the energetic performance of "Yaponecia Freeway" by musicians Bob Uchida and Tetsya Kajiwara & Masazane Nobutou. After the show, part of the participants paraded from the venue to Yoyogi Koen Park through Omote Sando and Harajuku. The Pacific Asian Resource Center and PARC Free School Vegetable Demonstration Group led by Johnny H conducted a demonstration with songs, dances and sounds and cheered the town after rain by chanting slogans. Among them were three members of a pop band Seifuku Kojo Iinkai, who performed the band's new song on denuclearization titled "Da! Da! Datsu-Genpatsu no Uta" a cappella. (Johnny H) Photo: Members of Seifuku Kojo Iinkai Video Clip 1 (YouTube) Video Clip 2(YouTube) Video Clip 3 (Recording of a UStream Report)

原発なくても大丈夫！～歌と踊りとサウンドでパレード

7月31日、東京ウィメンズブラザホールで「未来に輝け上関・祝島　原発なくても大丈夫！」トーク＆ライブが行われ、400人が集った。トークゲストは氏本長一・鎌中ひとみ・菅波完・大沢ゆたか、ライブゲストは内田ボブと梶原徹也＆ノブトウマサザネで、『ヤポネシア・フリーウェイ』の熱唱で会場を盛り上げた。終了後、会場前から表参道・原宿・代々木公園のコースで、パレードが行われた。第2チームはジョニーＨらが先導する「アジア太平洋資料センター＆PARC自由学校野菜デモ部」グループで、雨上がりの街を、歌と踊りとサウンドとともに元気にシュプレヒコールをした。また、「制服向上委員会」のメンバーのうち3人（写真）も参加していて、新曲『ダッ! ダッ! 脱・原発の歌』をアカペラで披露した。（ジョニーH） ・動画1（YouTube）　・動画2（YouTube）　・動画3（ユースト録画）

Let's Demand the Government a Total Halt of Nuke Plants: Action Week for Denuclearization Called in September

The planning committee for "Goodbye to Nuclear Power Plants: Actions by Ten Million People" issued an appeal on July 28 for participation in the Goodbye to Nuclear Power Plants Action Week. The action week, planned for September 11-19, is to commemorate the sixth-month time since the Great East Japan Earthquake and the disaster of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant. In the appeal, the committee urges people's organizations working in citizen's rights, environment protection and labor issues to show their determinations to build the society free of nuclear power plants and demand the government to suspend the operation of nuclear power plants, take countermeasures against the radiation, and choose renewable energies for central sources of power, by organizing various events including rallies, parades, lectures and seminars. In Tokyo, two events have so far been planned for the week, i.e. the Be-in Tokyo 9.11 to be held in the Meiji Koen Park on September 11 and the Ten Million People's Action Parade also to be held in the Meiji Koen Park on September 19. The Goodbye to Nuclear Power Plants Ten Million Signatures, the signature campaign to achieve denuclearization and build a society that is powered mainly with natural energies, has also been kicked off. (M) Ten Million People's Action Web site

政府に原発再稼働停止を迫ろう～「9月脱原発アクションウィーク」の呼びかけ

7月28日「さようなら原発1000万人アクション」実行委員会が、「9月脱原発アクションウィーク」を呼びかけました。東日本大震災と福島原発事故から6ヵ月目の9月11日から19日にかけて、多くの市民団体・環境団体・労働団体などがいっせいに「脱原発」の声をあげ、政府に原発の再稼働停止・放射能対策・自然エネルギーへの転換を迫ろうというものです。実行委員会では、この期間を脱原発アクションウィークとして、全国各地で集会やパレード、講演会やセミナーなど、さまざまなイベントに取り組むことを呼びかけています。東京では、9/11 Be-in東京911（明治公園）・9/19 脱原発1000万人アクションパレード（明治公園）などが決まっています。また「脱原発を実現し、自然エネルギー中心の社会を求める全国署名」（脱原発1000万人署名）も本格的にスタートしました。（M） ・1000万人アクションサイト

'Education Is 20 Thousand Percent of Coertion': Hashimoto Aims for Rule of Politics over Education

The TMEB Houi Net, a citizen's networking group for containment of unlawful moves of the Tokyo Metropolitan Education Board held a rally on July 24 at Bunkyo Kumin Center, Tokyo, with some 160 participants. The rally was to denounce two unjust rulings regarding coercion of the controversial national anthem Kimigayo at schools that were accounced by the supreme court in June and July this year and to aim at repealing of the recently-enacted ordinance of Osaka Prefecture that demands teachers of prefectural schools to stand up during the performance of Kimigayo. Since the enactment of the ordinace on June 3, the Hinomaru flags have been put up all the time at prefectural schools in Osaka. The Osaka Governor Toru Hashimoto is eager to realize another coercive ordinance during the September session of Prefectural Assembly that allow the education board to dismiss teachers who disobeyed the standing-up ordinance for three times. "Hashimoto says that education is 20 thousand percent of coertion. He doesn't only impose Hinomaru and Kimigayo on perfectural schools but even aims for establishing a scheme of public education under which elected politicians decide policies and substances and schools are just to manage the implementation. Such a scheme will enable politicians to freely intervene into public education", says Hiroyuki Imae of the Hot-line against Coercion of Hinomaru and Kimigayo. (Yumi Sasaki) Photo: Mr. Hiroyuki Imae Video Clip: Press conference by protesters on July 19

「教育は2万パーセント強制」～橋下府知事の狙いは政治の教育支配

7月24日、都教委包囲ネット7・24集会が東京・文京区民センターで開催され、160人が集まった。6月7月に連続して出された最高裁の「君が代」不当判決糾弾と、6月3日に成立した大阪府の「君が代」強制条例撤廃が集会のテーマだ。大阪では条例成立後、すべての府立学校で「日の丸」の常時掲揚が行われ始めた。また、9月府議会では「3回不起立で免職」という「職員処分条例」の成立も目論まれている。「日の丸・君が代」強制反対ホットラインの井前弘幸さん（写真）は、「橋下知事は、教育は2万パーセント強制だと言っている。彼のねらいは、『日の丸・君が代』の押しつけにとどまらず、教育の方針・中身は政治が決定し、現場はそのマネジメントをするだけという状態にもっていくこと。政治が教育に自由に介入できる体制作りを目指している」と語った。（佐々木有美） ・起立条例反対の7/19記者会見（動画）

"Training" To Punish Teachers Who Refused To Stand Up along Kimigayo: a Hundred Supporters Protested

The Tokyo Metropolitan Education Board held on July 21 a "training" to prevent recurrence of disobedience to its notice of 2003 that demanded upstanding while the national anthemn is played during ceremonies at prefectural schools. Three out of seven teachers who refused to stand up while Kimigayo was played during the graduation or the entrance ceremonies attended the "training". The other four resigned by the time of "training." Approximately 100 people gathered in front the training center of the TMEB, the venue of the "training," to protest to it and support the punished teachers. A group of lawyers attempted to submit a letter to the TMEB that denounces the notice, but the TMEB refused to receive it without giving reasons. In the past, they received similar letters for six times. It is suspected that their move this time was inspired by the supreme court's rulings of June and July that concluded the TMEB's notice was constitutional. One of the teachers who did not stand along with Kimigayo during the entrance ceremony said after the "training" that s/he had always refused to stand up, but was never condemned before. "I am not ashamed," said s/he. "Though the TMEB tried to discipline me on charge of negligence on duty, there is no reason why I should be reproached." (Hidekiyo Watabe)

「君が代不起立」教員3名にイジメ研修～約100人が抗議に駆けつける

7月21日、都教委による再発防止研修が行われました。対象となったのは、今春の卒・入学式での「君が代」不起立者7名中、退職者を除く3名です。研修抗議・該当者支援行動には、約100名が集まり、盛り上がりました（写真）。しかし、今回都教委は、研修センター前での弁護団の申し入れを一方的に拒否しました。理由を聞いても答えず、申し入れ書も受け取らない、という姿勢をとりました。これまで、7回にわたり行われてきたことを突然拒否してきたのです。「最高裁判決でお墨付きをもらったから問答無用」というのでしょうか。研修後、入学式で「不起立」したTさんは「今回はじめての現認（これまでは見過ごされていた）で、処分と研修となった。服務事故というが、不起立は恥ずべきものではないと思っている。非難されるいわれはない」と語りました。（渡部秀清）

ILWU Donates Money for Disaster Victims

Representatives of the International Longshor's and Warehouse's Union visited the All Japan Dockworkers' Union (Zen Kowan) and All Japan Seamen's Union respetively on July 18 and 19 and handed over relief money. The two Japanese unions have lost some members due to the earthquake and tsunami disasters that hit the north-eastern region of Japan on March 11. "Though some members wanted to visit the disaster-hit region to participate in the relief operations, it seemed difficult for us to do so. Therefore, we decided to extend support in the form of donations instead," said the ILWU president Robert McEllrath as he conveyed condolences to members of the branch union of Zen Kowan in Onahama, Fukushima Prefecture. They visited the Onahama Port that sagged more than one meter and saw local fishermen who were forced to give up fishing due partly to the contamination of sea water with radiation. "We saw TV reports and photos on papers before we came and thought we were well aware of the intensity of the damages caused by the disasters. However, we are overwhelmed with dismay now by learning firsthand how people's lives were shuttered with the disasters," said the ILWU vice president Ray Familathe after the visit. (Report by Chie Matsumoto) Photo: Reporter Chie Matsumoto showing the Onahama Port to the representatives of the ILWU (right)


国際港湾労組（ILWU）が被災労働者に義援金とどける

国際港湾・倉庫労働者組合（ILWU）は、地震と津波で複数の仲間の命を失った全港湾（全日本港湾労働者組合）と全日本海員組合を7月18日と19日に見舞い、それぞれに義援金を届けた。「仲間のために直接支援をしたいと現地入りを希望したものもいたが、そう簡単に実行できることではないので、義援金という形でみんなの気持ちを届けることにした」ILWUのロバート・マクエリラス委員長は、福島県小名浜で全港湾の支部組合に伝えた。同行した副委員長のレイ・ファミラス氏は、1メートル以上も陥没した小名浜港や、放射能の汚染からも撤退せざるを得なかった地元漁業者を見て「写真やテレビでは被害の規模の大きさを見てわかってはいたが、ここに人々の生活があったことを思うとやるせない思いだ」と話した。（松元ちえ） 報告　＊写真＝ILWU代表（右）を案内する筆者（小名浜港）