Annual anti-Yasukuni actions: Marchers chant “No War!”; “No War Legislation!”

The Yasukuni Candle Action that had jointly been organized by citizens of Korea, Taiwan, Okinawa and Japan marked the 10^th anniversary this year. in Tokyo with 700 participants. The program held in Tokyo on August 8 with 700 participants included a symposium on the topic of “Yasukuni Shrine as the backbone of 'proactive contribution to peace',” a concert, speeches and a march with candles. The main concern of the participants this year was the war legislation currently being debated in the Upper house. “Some members of Self Defense Forces will be killed in action if they are fully integrated into the operations of the US military. The fallen SDF members will probably be commemorated in the memorial zone in the premise of Ministry of Defense for the time being, but their deaths will lead to the full revival of 'Yasukuni-ism,' an ideology in which that the deaths of soldiers is received with veneration and gratitude and they are respected as patriotic martyrs. It will work as a message to urge others to be ready to sacrifice their lives for the country. Our activism will play an even more important role in preventing an era dominated by the ideology from coming true,” said Professor TAKAHASHI Tetsuya in the rally. As in the past, large crowds of right-wingers gathered to obstruct the march. They harassed the marchers even more violently this year, but failed to intimidate defiant marchers. The Anti-Yasukuni March was held on August 15 as was in the past years. Despite the violent obstruction by right wingers as usual, none of 200 marchers was injured this year. （M）

 Video (August 15 March, 3.5 min., no subtitles)

「戦争法反対！」の 声たかく～8.15反「靖国」デモを貫徹

 今年の8.15反「靖国」行動は、アジア連帯 講座など10団体で構成する実行委員会で行われた。前日には安倍談話があったばかりで、主催者アピール でも「責任主体をぼやかし日本の近代史に居直るロジックに満ちた代物」と批判していた。一行200人は午 後4時半に水道橋の「スペースたんぽぽ」からデモに出発。例年とおり、大通りに出ると右翼が待ち構え、 歩道から罵声を浴びせたり突進してきた。靖国神社そばの交差点では、数千人の群衆・右翼・機動隊が入 り乱れ、怒号が飛び交う異常な中での行進。右翼の「日本人の恥！」「朝鮮に帰れ！」という罵声が悲し く聞こえてきた。デモ隊は、元気に「靖国反対」「戦争反対」「天皇制反対」のコールを上げデモを貫徹 した。とくに「戦争法反対！」のプラカードが目立った。今年は、例年のように横断幕を奪われたり怪我 人を出さずに無事終了した。（M）  
動画（3分半）

Yasukuni Candle Action: 400 Join Discussions on Post-War Japan since San Francisco Peace Treaty

The annual Yasukuni Candle Rally was held on August 11 at Toshima Kokaido in Tokyo. Some 400 people attended a symposium with a panel of academics and journalists from the mainland Japan, Okinawa, Taiwan and South Korea. The panelists, TAKAHASHI Tetsuya, KOSEKI Shoichi, ISHIHARA Masaie, Li Shiu and Tseng Chien-min, reviewed post-war Japan during six decades since San Francisco Peace Treaty took effect in 1952. "The San Francisco Peace Treaty laid the basis for the Japan-U.S. security alliance that has been a 'national polity' of post-war Japan. The alliance has a nuclear system within it that started with an illusion of 'peaceful uses of nuclear power.' Nowadays, some conservatives say that nuclear power plants have to be retained as it is a deterrent that can be converted into weapons. We must voice our opposition to such dangerous moves, " said TAKAHASHI.　After the rally, the participants marched through busy quarters of Ikebukuro with candles in their hands, chanting "No Yasukuni!" slogans defiantly despite persistent and violent obstructions by right-wingers. (By M) Flash Photo Report Mkimpo's Photo Gallery  * Photo (Candle March led by war-bereaved families)

ヤスクニキャンドル行動に400人～サンフランシスコ条約と戦後日本を考える

8月11日、東京・豊島公会堂で「ヤスクニキャンドル集会」が開催され、約400人が集まった。シンポジウムでは、日本・沖縄・台湾・韓国の学者、ジャーナリスト5人（古関彰一・石原昌家・李時雨・曾健民・高橋哲哉）が登壇し、サンフランシスコ条約発効60年を振り返るディスカッションを行った。 高橋哲哉さんは「サンフランシスコ講和は日米安保体制であり、それが戦後日本の“国体”になった。その安保は“原子力平和利用”の幻想のもとに始まった核システムでもある。現在、保守層の中から“原発は核兵器に転用できる抑止力として必要”という声が出ている。こうした危険な動きに対して声を上げることが必要だ」と述べた。 集会後、参加者はキャンドルを手に池袋の繁華街をデモ行進した。右翼の執拗な妨害があったが、参加者はひるむことなく「ヤスクニいらない」の大コールを上げた。（M） 写真速報・ムキンポ写真館　＊写真＝遺族を先頭にキャンドルデモ