Monthly Archives: February 2023

Japan Resources – 188

Please click here for our latest English newsletter (pdf): JR 188

Contents:

From the Editors: Peace of Mind

Press Event: Consumers in Japan Oppose Increased Military Spending

Blog: Breaking Bread

How about it, World, Do We Care about Biological Diversity, or Not?

Consumers Union of Japan has Signed the Global Appeal to Stop Gene Drives

In the News: Doubling the Defense Budget Won’t be Easy for Japan

From the Editors: Peace of Mind

Consumers Union of Japan took the initiative to protest against the proposal to increase Japan’s military spending. 28 consumer organisations joined together, wanting to protect ourselves and others from the potential risk that Japan will once again be involved in aggressive warfare.

This year, we will also step up our activities at home and abroad against the risks associated with genetic engineering, especially genome editing and gene drives. We are reaching out to like-minded groups in other countries to give a voice to consumers and citizens, who all want to live peacefully.

Please stay updated with CUJ’s activities and news on our English website, as well as on our English Twitter account: https://twitter.com/consumerunionjp/

Press Event: Consumers in Japan Oppose Increased Military Spending

Joint statement: We, consumers, seek a peaceful society that respects life and livelihood. We oppose the possession of an enemy base attack capability (counterattack capability) and increased military expenditure.

On 6 February 2023, consumer organisations from across Japan jointly issued a joint statement opposing the Kishida Government’s proposal for a pre-emptive strike in the name of an enemy base attack and an increase in defence expenditure. The call was made by the Consumers Union of Japan and Shufuren. In response to the call, consumer organisations, co-operatives and other groups from across the country endorsed the statement, which was announced at a press conference held in Tokyo.

The fact that national and local consumer consumers across the country have expressed their opposition to the government’s proposed major military build-up shows that a sense of crisis about these government moves is gradually spreading.

On 16 December 2022, the Kishida Government made a Cabinet decision to revise the ‘Three Security Documents’, including the National Security Strategy. The ‘Three Security Documents’ clearly state the policy of possessing an ‘enemy base attack capability (counterattack capability)’ and increasing Japan’s defence expenditure to 43 trillion yen. An enemy base attack capability is the capability to strike within the territory of another country. It carries the risk of a first strike, which is forbidden by international law, and is contrary to Japan’s Constitution, which states that there will be no war. Deterrence to avoid war is not a matter of enemy base attack capability (counterattack capability), but of diplomacy through dialogue.

We, 28 consumer organisations, work to solve various consumer problems that arise in our daily lives. It goes without saying once again that our activities are only possible because we are guaranteed a peaceful society. We continue to confirm the importance of pacifism in accordance with the Constitution at the National Consumer Congress, which we have held every year since 1957. Consumer cooperatives, which together with consumer organisations are responsible for Japan’s active consumer movement, have adopted the slogan ‘For peace and a better life’. Underlying this is a strong will that war must never happen again, and must not be allowed to happen.

We reaffirm that the basis of the consumer movement is to reject everything that hinders peaceful living and threatens life, and we oppose the possession of an enemy base attack capability (counterattack capability). We oppose the increased defence expenditure in Japan, seeking a peaceful society that respects life and livelihood.

6 February 2023

(Signed by 28 consumer organisations, including Shufuren, Consumers Union of Japan, Tokyo Shodanren, Kanagawa Shodanren)

(Japanese: https://nishoren.net/cuj/?p=34)

Nikkan Berita: http://www.nikkanberita.com/read.cgi?id=202302062056521

Asahi Shimbun: https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASR265K4YR26UTIL01M.html

Protest Against Japan’s Military Buildup

6 February Press Conference on the Joint Statement of Consumer Organisations:

We Protest against Japan’s Military Buildup and Increased Spending on Weapons

Date and time: 6 February (Mon), 10:00-11:00

Venue: Plaza F, 3F, Shufuren Conference Room

Programme:

10:00 Opening remarks and explanation on participation in Zoom (Moderator, Shufuren)

10:05 Comments on this joint statement from the calling organisations (Consumer Union of Japan and Shufuren)

10:15 Message from Kanagawa Shodanren, supporting organisation

10:20 Introduction of messages from supporting organisations (Koketsu Michiyo, CUJ)

10:25 Question and answer session

10:45 About the future

10:50 End

Zoom participation will be limited to the media and other reporters

Language: Japanese only