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Joint Statement for Peace in Asia
Sayonara, Food Additives!
Many people want to avoid consuming food additives as much as possible, while others believe they are safe because the government says so. How does the government evaluate the safety of additives? Are they truly safe?
In Europe and the United States, research reports on the health impacts of synthetic food colourings and artificial sweeteners are emerging one after another. Japan’s food additive regulations have been driven by external pressure from the United States; it is now reported that the US is considering a comprehensive ban on coal-tar-based colorants, starting with restrictions on Red No. 3. However, neither Japan’s Food Safety Commission nor the Consumer Affairs Agency shows any sign of action.
Get our new booklet, and for now, the only option is to avoid additives. Check labels and reduce your intake of additives.
● Additives to Avoid at All Costs
● US Moves to Eliminate Major Synthetic Food Colorings
● Survey on Food Additive Usage
● School Lunch Standards Must Prioritize Children’s Health
This booklet explains that there are problems with the government’s safety assessments and that various research studies worldwide have revealed health impacts from additives previously deemed safe. We highlight specific additives you should avoid and explains their risks.
This is a must-read for anyone wanting to say goodbye to additives.
Table of Contents:
Part 1: Are Additives Safe?
Part 2: Can You Tell from the Label?
Part 3: Additives to Avoid
Part 4: Isn’t This an Additive?
Part 5: Reducing Additives
Author: Eiji Hara, Consumers Union of Japan
Click here for information in Japanese
Peace and the End of “American War” in Vietnam
50th Anniversary of Peace in Vietnam (October 1, 2025)
Earlier this year, I visited Vietnam. Red flags and the number “50” were displayed everywhere. In 1975, the fall of Saigon and the reunification of the country brought an end to the “American War” (as the Vietnamese call it). More than that, this war put an end to a history of suffering under Japanese imperialist rule, which lasted until 1945, and the long humiliating French colonial rule.
1975 may seem like a distant past, but traces of the intense bombing by U.S. forces, especially the use of chemical weapons like napalm and defoliants containing dioxin-contaminated 2,4-D and other herbicides, remain to this day. The environmental destruction caused by this defoliant campaign was described as “ecocide” by figures like Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme. Soldiers from the United States, Australia, and South Korea also suffered long-term health consequences. According to the Vietnamese government, up to 3 million people suffer from illnesses caused by Agent Orange (a mixture of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T). What I witnessed were elderly and young victims, severely disabled even 50 years later, on the beautiful streets of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City).
Today, as we advocate for food safety and oppose genetically modified crops like soybeans, we recognize that U.S. companies have developed genetically modified soybeans and corn resistant to 2,4-D. While this is certainly different from the “spraying of Agent Orange,” the contamination of food with such chemicals is utterly unacceptable. As U.S. farmers continue spraying, residual levels of 2,4-D and other herbicides have been detected near schools across the United States, as reported by the nonprofit media outlet Investigate Midwest. With growing empathy for chemical poisoning victims worldwide, this situation is ethically intolerable.
By Martin J. Frid, Co-chair Consumers Union of Japan
Update: Peace in Asia
Joint Statement Sent to Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China, and 10 ASEAN Countries (8 September 2025)
Consumers Union of Japan and the Housewives’ Federation have sent the Joint Statement for Asian Peace to the Prime Minister of Japan and the embassies of South Korea, Taiwan, China, as well as the 10 ASEAN countries.
＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
We are Japanese consumer organizations working to establish consumer rights and protect lives and livelihoods.
We express our deepest respect to the ASEAN member states, which have long pursued diplomatic efforts to build peace in the Southeast Asian region.
We are writing to share our Joint Statement on Asian Peace, which advocates “dialogue over force,” with ASEAN, an organization that values and practices dialogue above all else. We have enclosed the statement. We would be grateful if you would take the time to review it.
We issued the Joint Statement for Asian Peace in August 2024, wishing for the swiftest possible end to the unceasing wars and conflicts around the world and for all people living on Earth to be able to live in peace. Currently, 30 civic groups active in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and New Zealand have endorsed it. Thus, there are people across Asia who sincerely wish for peace and support solidarity among citizens.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. As citizens of Japan, whose Constitution advocates non-aggression, we will continue dialogue and exchange to further expand and deepen connections between people seeking peace. This is to prevent any more wars from occurring in Asia and around the world.
Japanese text here
Japan Resources 198
Contents:
From the Editors: Heated Debates
#DialogueOverForce: Citizens Unite for Peace in Asia Symposium
The East Asia Plant Variety Protection Forum and UPOV 1991: Implications for Seed Systems in Southeast Asia
Trend: Current Status of Genetically Altered Rice
In the News: Fragrance Sensitivity Affects 1 in 10 Students, Survey Finds
In the News: The Mainichi Shimbun Editorial for “Stable Rice Supply”
From the Editors: Heated Debates
This summer has been the hottest on record, Japan’s weather agency reports. The abnormal heat, reaching above 40 degrees Celsius in several places, has caused thousands of cases of heatstroke and damaged industries, including agriculture and fisheries.
It has indeed been a summer of heated debates about peace, as we remember the end of WW2 this August.
We must also consider the children who go back to school this month. One issue some students face is the fragrance pollution problem, that CUJ and the Network to Stop Fragrance Pollution have highlighted.
We hope you will take advantage of our new online feature to contribute to Consumers Union of Japan, with a donation online. Please click on the Congrant.com link below.
Link (J): https://congrant.com/project/nishoren/17172/form/step1?spt_route=iOMZA1tdEDWd0RJY
– Editors
Symposium: Dialogue Over Force: Citizens Connecting for Peace in Asia
Symposium: Dialogue Over Force: Citizens Connecting for Peace in Asia
Eighty years have passed since the end of World War II. A new era of military domination is emerging, with major powers openly prioritizing their own interests. Countries are increasing their military budgets, and Japan is also doubling down on weapons manufacturing and Self-Defense Forces base expansion.
We call on the Japanese government to abandon the path of becoming a military power and instead pursue peace through its own diplomatic initiatives, using “Dialogue Over Force” as our motto. We will work with citizens across Asia, where new flashpoints such as Taiwan are being hyped, to build a strong public opinion in favour of peace. In August 2024, the Housewives’ Association, Consumers Union of Japan (CUJ), and the Korean Dure Consumer Cooperative Federation called for an “Asian Peace Joint Statement,” which was endorsed by 26 organizations in Japan and abroad.
International journalist Chihiro Ito, who has reported on people power in various countries and promoted the world-renowned Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution both domestically and internationally, will give an inspiring talk on how citizens can connect with each other.
Date and Time: 8 August 2025 (Fri) 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Venue: Housewives’ Association Plaza F 3F Housewives’ Association Meeting Room / Online Co-hosted
Address: 15 Rokubancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo / Access: 1-minute walk from JR Yotsuya Station
● Lecturer Profile
Chihiro Ito
International journalist. As a correspondent for the Asahi Shimbun, he has reported from 84 countries, including Central and South America, Europe, and the United States. He is a member of the Article 9 Association. His publications include “Costa Rica: A Leading Nation in Peace, Environment, and Human Rights Where People Speak of ‘Pure Life,’” “The Oath of Non-War,” and “The Oath of Non-War II”.
Hosted by: Dialogue Over Force Project (Housewives’ Association, Consumers Union of Japan)
●Dialogue Over Force Project
A project by the Housewives’ Association and Consumers Union of Japan. The Japan Housewives’ Association and CUJ issued a joint statement by consumer organizations titled “We, as consumers, demand a peaceful society that values life and livelihood, and oppose the possession of enemy base attack capabilities (counterattack capabilities) and the increase in defense spending” in response to the crisis posed by the revision of the three security documents in December 2022, which would lead to the possession of enemy base attack capabilities—a violation of Japan’s Constitution—and the doubling of military spending under the guise of defense spending.
The statement garnered the support of 96 organizations. Subsequently, to prevent Asia from becoming a battlefield again, in August 2024, we jointly issued the “Asia Peace Joint Statement” and are calling for support from consumer and citizen groups both domestically and internationally. As of June 2025, 26 organizations from Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and New Zealand have endorsed the statement.
In April 2025, the “Dialogue Over Force Project” was launched, which, in addition to promoting the Asia Peace Joint Statement, conducts protest activities and boycotts targeting weapons manufacturing and export companies.
Information in Japanese here