Join Our Tabe Kime Action Campaign

For World Food Day on 16 October, we have again started the campaign “I decide what I eat. I decide what I plant and grow. Not for the benefit of multinational corporations.” We call this campaign the Tabe Kime Action (Tabe=Eat Kime=Decide). Participants can post photos of our message board on Facebook. Our campaign was launched in response to the criticism voiced by family farmers, small-scale farmers‘ groups and citizens’ groups around the world against the multinational corporations led UN Food System Summit in September 2021, and to show Japan’s support for them. Last year, over 200 photos were submitted. In addition to the message board with the text there is also a blank board on which you can write your own message. This year, our Tabe Kime Action is running until 16 November. Please take photos of yourself and the view of the food or food production sites you want to protect. For example, you can take photos of fields or rice paddies, a scene of a meal at an organic restaurant or at home can also be included. Do add a personal message if you wish!

Message board with Japanese text:　JPG　PDF
With no text:　JPG　PDF
Message board with English text:　JPG　PDF
With no text:　JPG　PDF
※To print out it may be easier to use the PDF files.

Post on the Facebook site here

Information in Japanese here

There are two ways to post photos.

If you are on Facebook yourself, you can post directly yourself on the following page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/806047030062792

If you are not on Facebook, you can send a photo and a brief description of the photo to the following email address:
tabekime@nishoren.org

Note: About posting to Facebook
When posting on Facebook, please add the following hashtags:

#たべきめ

#tabekime

#worldfoodday

#foodsovereignty

Note: Posting by email
If you do not have a Facebook account, please send an email attachment to CUJ’s dedicated Tabe Kime Action email address (tabekime@nishoren.org). In this case, please include your name (real name or nickname/handle name) and a brief comment. The CUJ staff will post your submission on the Facebook public group “Tabe Kime Action” and on the CUJ’s “summary website”. Please make sure that the message board is included in the photographs.

Please refrain from promoting a particular religion or political party. If a photo or expression is deemed to be highly offensive, it will not be published.

Campaign period:
16 September – 16 November 2024

Click below to see photos from our previous Tabe Kime Actions:

2021 Website:
https://nishoren.net/flash/16659
2022 Website:
https://nishoren.net/flash/16659
2023 Website:
https://gmo-iranai.org/?p=4306

YouTube videos on Channel Nishoren:
その1　その2　その3　その4　その5 　その6　その7　その8　その9　その10　その11

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By admin | 25/09/2024 | Food |

Joint Statement for Peace in Asia

30 August 2024

We are citizens’ organisations engaged in the consumer movement and consumer cooperative activities in South Korea and Japan. As we promote efforts to protect the rights of consumers and citizens, we are heartbroken that many people are embroiled in wars and conflicts around the world, such as the war in Russia and Ukraine and the fighting between Israel and Palestine.

War takes and maims all life, including children, and destroys everything that sustains life. We saw this first-hand in the two World Wars. In World War II, Japan inflicted indescribable damage on Korea and other Asian countries. Upon reflection, the citizens of Japan resolved in the Constitution of Japan to ensure that the horrors of war would never again be caused by the actions of the government, and pledged to Asia and the world that the mistakes would never be repeated.

However, in 2022, the Japanese Government revised three documents on security and announced a plan to double defence spending to a total of 43 trillion yen (about 374.5 trillion won) over the next five years in the name of deterrence. This is a 180-degree turnaround in Japan’s approach to security, from the previous policy of exclusive defence to pre-emptive attack, and an attempt to once again push the country into war. In response to this situation, a joint statement by consumers in Japan calling for the withdrawal of the three security documents has been issued, with the support of over 90 organisations.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Japan and South Korea both rank around the top ten in the world’s military expenditure rankings. Conflicts and tensions continue in many parts of the world, but we know from past war experience that the expansion of armaments is never a deterrent, but paves the way for war. Wars do not start suddenly one day, but creep into our lives little by little. At a time when the global arms build-up is underway, Asian consumer and civil society organisations need to unite in solidarity and appeal for anti-war and peace.

All people on earth have the right to live in peace and security. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that ‘Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.’ Peace is not merely the absence of war and conflict, but a state of peace and prosperity, free from violence, poverty, oppression of human rights, discrimination and environmental destruction. Above all, we believe that human dignity must be taken seriously. We see each situation that threatens this as our own and urge that all international confrontational challenges be resolved not by force but by dialogue.

We hereby resolve to continue dialogue and exchange in order to further broaden and deepen the links between people in search of peace and never to provoke war.

Dure Consumer’s Cooperative Union (South Korea)
http://dure-coop.or.kr/bbs/board.php?bo_table=B21&wr_id=552

Shufuren Association of Consumer Organisations (Japan)
https://shufuren.net/en/

Consumers Union of Japan (Japan)
https://www.nishoren.org/en/

In the news:

Tokyo Shimbun/MSN: 「反戦と平和のためにアジアで連帯を」主婦連など、韓国の団体と連名で軍拡に反対する共同声明

Tokyo Shimbun

How to sign:

We are asking citizens’ organisations (NGOs) around the world to sign this statement. We are aiming for 15 August 2025 to commemorate the end of WW2. The first deadline is 31 December 2024 and the second deadline is 31 July 2025.

Please sign the Joint Statement here (in English)

Joint Statement in Japanese:

アジア平和共同声明

私たちは日本と韓国で消費者運動、生活協同組合活動を行っている市民団体です。消費者・生活者の権利を守るための取り組みを進める私たちは、ロシア・ウクライナ戦争、イスラエル・パレスチナ間の戦闘など、世界各地で起こっている戦争や紛争に多くの市民が巻き込まれていることに心を痛めています。

戦争は、子どもたちを含むあらゆるいのちを奪い、傷つけ、生活を支える何もかもを破壊します。私たちは二度の世界大戦でそれを目の当たりにしました。第二次世界大戦において日本は韓国をはじめとするアジアの国々に筆舌に尽くしがたい被害を与えました。その反省の上に立って日本の市民は、日本国憲法において政府の行為によって再び戦争の惨禍が起こることのないようにすることを決意し、過ちを二度と繰り返すまいとアジアをはじめ世界に誓ったはずでした。

ところが、2022年に日本政府は安全保障に関する３文書を改定、抑止力の名の下に防衛費を今後5年間で総額43兆円（約374兆5000ウォン）に倍増する計画を打ち出しました。それまでの専守防衛から先制攻撃へと安全保障の考え方を180度転換して、再び戦争に突き進もうとしています。このような事態に対して、日本では安保３文書の撤回を求める消費者共同声明を発表し、90を超える団体が賛同しています。

スウェーデンのストックホルム国際平和研究所によると、世界の軍事費ランキングで日本と韓国はともに上位10位前後に位置しています。世界各地で紛争や緊張が続いていますが、私たちは、過去の戦争の経験から、軍備拡大は決して抑止力にならず、戦争への道をひらくものであることを知っています。戦争はある日突然始まるのではなく、少しずつくらしに忍び寄ってくるものです。世界的に軍拡の動きが進行する今こそ、アジアの消費者団体・市民団体は連帯し、反戦と平和を訴える必要があります。

地球上の全ての人々は、穏やかに安心して生きる権利があります。「世界人権宣言」でも、「すべて人は、生命、自由及び身体の安全に対する権利を有する」と謳われています。「平和」とは、単に戦争や紛争のない状態を指すのではなく、暴力、貧困、人権の抑圧、差別、環境破壊等がない、安らかで豊かな状態のことです。なにより、人間の尊厳を重く見なければならないと考えます。私たちはこれを脅かす事態をそれぞれ自身のこととして捉え、国際的なすべての対立的課題を、武力ではなく対話で解決することを強く求めます。

私たちは平和を求める人と人との繋がりを一層広げるとともに深化させ、決して戦争を引き起こさせないために対話と交流を続けることをここに決意します。

2024年8月30日

ドゥレ消費者生活協同組合連合会（韓国）

主婦連合会（日本）

日本消費者連盟（日本）

By admin | 11/09/2024 | Peace |

Japan Resources 194

Please click here for our latest English newsletter (pdf): JR 194

JR-194x Download

Contents:

From the Editors: Join Hands for Positive Change

Update on the Fragrance Pollution Issue in Japan from the Perspective of Those Who Continue to Suffer

Japan’s Neoliberal Seed Rules: Farmers’ Rights Undermined

Let’s Label! Local Initiatives for Mandatory Labels of Genome-Edited Foods

Responses to Our Questions to Supermarkets Regarding the Sale of Genome-edited Tomatoes

Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency “Will Not Regulate Genome Editing“

From the Editors: Join Hands for Positive Change

Consumers Union of Japan is engaged in many campaigns that have international implications. We always feel the need for more cooperation between non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and local groups that fight for justice and regulations that support consumers’ rights – such as the right to know.

Globalisation can work to our advantage if we join hands for positive change and solidarity.

The purpose of Japan Resources over the years has been to inform others what is going on in Japan. We hope you will stay tuned to our campaigns and join us as we keep up the good work…

– Editors

By admin | 31/08/2024 | Japan Resources, Uncategorized |

Update on the Fragrance Pollution Issue in Japan from the Perspective of Those Who Continue to Suffer

Update on the Fragrance Pollution Issue in Japan from the Perspective of Those Who Continue to Suffer

August 2024

By Yuri Kitagawa

Fragrance pollution is about health problems caused by products of everyday life used by others, such as fabric softeners and laundry detergents with sustained release technology for fragrances. After the spread of COVID-19, when people engaged in extensive sterilisation, the use of antimicrobial chemicals in the products, on top of fragrances, has become common. It is said that 70%¹ of the people in Japan use fabric softeners, most of which are scented. Common symptoms are headaches, nausea, coughs, breathing problem, eye ache, dizziness, diarrhea, etc. Some suffer from severe symptoms which prevent them from going to school or workplace. For many, leading ordinary lives become difficult as fragrance- and chemical-filled air comes in the house from neighbours’ laundry and everywhere one goes there are people who use the products or/and these users of the products leave behind the fragrance and the chemicals everywhere as they move about.

Although more people who are affected by the products are raising their voices, most people remain quiet just enduring the nuisance and the suffering as they fear not being understood and/or face alienation and even being bullied. The 70% usage rate of fabric softener is the result of fierce advertisement by manufacturers of these products and the tendency of the Japanese public who think that everything which is sold, advertised and is not banned is safe and that they are good products. The fragrance pollution problem is unique in that while symptoms of, for example, food allergy can be avoided by the sufferer her/himself refraining from eating the food item, fragrance pollution is almost impossible to avoid as the air in most places is contaminated by these fragrances in microcapsules even on mountain paths as hikers and athletes have a high tendency to use the products fearing smell from their sweating.

Since I last wrote about fragrance pollution in Japan² in May 2022, one major development has been the creation in August 2022 of a Network of Local Politicians to Stop Fragrance Pollution. As of 22 July 2024, the Network has 131 members and the local assembly members, as well as the members of the National Assembly, have been actively questioning about fragrance pollution in the assemblies of their cities, towns and villages. The questions have included addressing the issues of students who suffer from Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), especially from scented fabric softeners used by others, and the problem of scented fabric softeners and other scented products at medical institutions, etc.

One major problem of scented fabric softener has been the use of it to wash kappōgi aprons (cooking coat-type apron) which the primary school pupils wear when serving school lunches. Pupils in Japan take turns to serve school lunches and the aprons they wear are normally passed on to the next group of pupils after washing them at home. Since most families use scented laundry products, pupils with MCS end up being forced to wear the aprons drenched with the chemical substances which make the pupils and the families sick. Many local assemblies have decided to instruct school boards and the schools to allow MCS pupils to bring their own aprons or in some cases stop the system of using the same aprons and ask the pupils to bring their own aprons.

While addressing the apron issue is an improvement, the school environment where most pupils and students (and teachers and other employees) continue to use scented laundry products and other scented products, does not solve the fragrance pollution issue in schools. Students who cannot sit in the same classroom with other students because of fragrance pollution, are often dealt with by being made to sit apart alone in a separate room which can be said that the student is being abandoned. Or in some cases, the students have no choice but to give up going to school.

Regulation / restriction concerning this fragrance pollution issue is expected to take time. Meanwhile I am hoping that schools, work places, medical institutions and other public places will introduce scent-free policies like we can see in some places in other countries, such as educational and medical facilities in North America. The reason why there is no talk about introducing scent-free policies in Japan seems to be that there is no instruction from the national government to do so and the schools think that they cannot impose a ban on articles of daily use as individuals should be free to use the products of their choice. Another reason which I have heard is that some parents of the students might be working for manufacturing or sales companies of these products so that there might be a possibility that the students might be feeling bad if scent-free policies were introduced.

In autumn 2023, the Network to Stop Fragrance Pollution³, together with the Network of Local Politicians to Stop Fragrance Pollution and Canary Network Nationwide (CAN; Network of those who suffer from symptoms caused by chemical products such as fabric softeners) started a signature campaign on the online platform “change.org”⁴ targeting the three major manufacturers of fabric softeners and detergents, namely Procter & Gamble (P&G), Kao and Lion and the Japan Soap and Detergent Association. The campaign calls for stopping the use of slow-release technology (fragrance and antimicrobial chemicals) including microcapsules. Unfortunately the three companies and the Association accepted the signatures with great reluctance when we visited them to hand over, but we believe that the initiative contributed to raising awareness of the issue. As of 15 January, the campaign had gathered 8,889 signatures and the number of signatures continues to grow, reaching 11,026 as of 27 August 2024.

This April and May, the Network to Stop Fragrance Pollution held its annual meeting with the ministries concerned with this issue, ie the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Industries, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Environment and the Consumer Affairs Agency. Although some progress has been made over the years, to this day, the reply from the Ministry of Health continues to be that they do not intend to regulate the products since there is no proof that the fragrances (and other chemicals such as antimicrobial chemicals) from the products are causes of the symptoms.

We need louder voices from those who are suffering from fragrance pollution and the public in general to change the air situation and the attitude of the government. Last year, the EU has banned intentionally-added microplastics, which include plastic-derived microcapsules used in fabric softeners. Japan should do the same although the ban will not fully solve the issue of fragrance pollution as it is expected that soon technology will come up with non-plastic / biodegradable microcapsules.

The United Nations is currently at its final stage of negotiating the Plastic Treaty and it is hoped that the treaty will make clear reference to the microplastics including microcapsules used in products such as fabric softeners. Unfortunately the Japanese government remains reluctant to introduce the “precautionary principle” when dealing with products such as chemicals but we hope that this attitude will change.

The fragrance pollution seems to be at its worst here in Japan but we are aware that the problem exists also in other countries. We are eager to engage in exchanges of information and views with those who are working on the issue in other parts of the world. If you are interested, please contact us.

1 Source: Japan Soap and Detergent Association (JSDA) study: https://jsda.org/w/01_katud/sentaku_chosa2020-2.html

2 Fragrance pollution is the health hazard caused by scented products (chemicals) such as fabric softeners, air fresheners, deodorants, room fragrances and laundry detergents:
https://www.nishoren.org/en/?p=2477

3 The Network to Stop Fragrance Pollution is a Network created in 2017 and currently consists of 5 organisations, namely Consumers Union of Japan, Japan Endocrine-Disruptor Preventive Action (JEPA), Network for Reduction of Toxic Chemicals (T-Watch), Chemical Sensitivity Help Center and Consumers Union of Japan Kansai Group

4 https://www.change.org/Stop_Kougai

By admin | 31/08/2024 | Chemical pollution, Corporate Responsibility, Environment, Uncategorized |

Japan’s Neoliberal Seed Rules: Farmers’ Rights Undermined

Japan’s Neoliberal Seed Rules: Farmers’ Rights Undermined

August 2024

By Martin J. Frid & Kaori Hirouchi (Consumers Union of Japan)

In recent years, Japan’s neoliberal government has introduced new legislation for the seed and seedling sector, restricting farmers’ activities while giving multinational corporations a free hand. Is Japan trying to turn millions of farmers into passive buyers, consumers without rights, not only of fertilisers and pesticides, but also of seed, the very essence of our common food security? And what about Japan’s efforts to get other countries to join UPOV91, which is a system developed by industrialized countries for the so-called “protection” of plant varieties that unilaterally promotes the interests of the seed industry at the expense of farmers’ rights?

One of the major changes was in the revision of PVP Act (Shubyo-ho in Japanese). In May 2020 Consumers Union of Japan reported: “The ban on unauthorised self-propagation and self-seeding is to be extended to all protected varieties in order to strengthen the intellectual property rights. …Strengthening Plant Variety Protection has strengthened the control of seeds by corporations, including multinationals, and has deprived farmers of their rights, food sovereignty and food safety. This amendment will further amplify this situation. We protest against the submission of the PVP Act Amendment Bill to the Diet and call for its withdrawal.” (Link: https://www.nishoren.org/en/?p=3063)

During the debate about the PVP Act, farmers’ groups, people’s organizations as well as opposition parties indicated their concerns, saying that the new PVP Act constitutes a deprivation of the freedom to cultivate crops, and save, exchange and sell seeds. A clause on exceptions was requested, and even some within the Liberal Democratic Party had doubts about the rush to revise such important legislation.

We were very surprised when this new legal framework for PVP was fully enacted, with provisions that prohibits seed saving and other activities, including seed sharing and sales of home-grown seed between farmers, if seeds are protected. The threat of harsh punishment was unexpected, for example (Article 67, Crime of Infringement): “Any person who has infringed on a breeder’s right or an exclusive exploitation license is subject to imprisonment for not more than ten years or to a fine of not more than 10,000,000 yen, or combination thereof.” (Plant Variety Protection and Seed Act. Link: https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/4036)

Some farmers, including those in the organic sector, as well as independent experts have continued to protest these restrictions. We believe such concerns are justified.

It has also been pointed out (private communication to the authors from Francois Meienberg of APBREBES, an international network of NGOs that specialises on PVP and UPOV) that Japan’s new PVP Act is unusual in that there is no exception to allow, even in a limited way, farmers to save protected seeds for their use on their own fields. Although this is only an optional exception under UPOV91, other countries have implemented this exception in one way or another.

To make matters worse, we have seen how Japan has changed from a passive player, to putting forward a strong, aggressive, even confrontational agenda abroad, both at UPOV meetings in Geneva, Switzerland and through the little known East Asia Plant Variety Protection Forum (EAPVP Forum). Absent from the EAPVP Forum are the local actors who are most likely to be affected by the decisions of the PVP offices, particularly smallholder farmers, indigenous peoples, local communities, as well as civil society organizations. One example of Japan’s proposals is to develop and test a model of an online PVP registration application platform known as e-PVP. Development of e-PVP Asia is extremely worrying. It risks not only entrenching an unsuitable PVP system in the East Asian region, but also the loss of national sovereignty over seed.

One-size-fits-all approach like UPOV91 does not work, because diversity matters in the face of climate crisis and building resilient community. Also, such approach deprives farmers and consumers alike of self-determination to food, thus the right to food. Consumers Union of Japan is concerned about the domination of seeds by companies and the way in which farmers’ rights are being stripped away. UPOV91 is not a suitable solution for Japan or other countries in Asia and the world. Access to food is a human right. We hope the current debate will continue to inspire more people to get educated, get involved, grow their own food, and as much as possible, to save seed for future generations.

By admin | 31/08/2024 | Biodiversity, Food, North-South, Organic Agriculture/Food, Uncategorized |

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