日本消費者連盟
すこやかないのちを未来へ
Sound and Healthy Future for Our Children

We Oppose Full-Body Scanning at Airports

We Oppose the Introduction of Full-Body Scanning at Japan’s Airports

Statement by the Citizens Association Opposing Phone Tapping and Consumers Union of Japan

January 19, 2010

The U.S. government introduced whole body scanning at airports on December 25, 2009. This involves acquiring photographic images that reveal the nude body using X-ray techniques as a way to examine passengers. The claim is that such scanning is needed after attempts to bring bombs on board aircrafts. After that, physical examination using the same type of scanner has been extended to Canada and some EU member countries including the U.K., the Netherlands, and Italy.

However, other countries including Belgium and Spain are taking a skeptical approach to the introduction of such inspections, and in Germany, the opinion is divided.

We do not agree that the counter-terrorism argument is a valid explanation for introducing full-body scanning.

Such views are presented in mass media without taking into account privacy rights. We strongly request that whole body scanning should not be introduced in Japan, and that each government should make their own decisions regarding this issue without simply following the decisions made by the U.S. government. Moreover, we request that Japan’s government will clearly state that there will be no introduction of whole body scanning in the future.

1) We have strong misgivings about the violation of privacy related to collecting fingerprints and facial recognition through the US-VISIT (United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology) system, as introduced in 2009 and the introduction of taking naked full-body images from 2010.

2) We also have misgivings about the influence of X-rays on the human body during the exposure to radiation. Although it is reported that the amount of radiation is small, there is no guarantee that there is no influence when the whole human body is exposed.

3) Secondary use of the acquired images are technically an easy process, and there is no way to guarantee that individual privacy rights are not violated in the future, as information that must be protected are stored and accumulated on computers as electronic information.

4) It is uncertain if whole body scanning can properly identify small amounts of liquids or nonmetal materials, etc. The argument that scanning is needed for “counter-terrorism” is in fact a one-sided attack on individual privacy rights, as the effectiveness is doubtful.

5) The broader issues of human rights and civil liberties are seriously at risk with the introduction of severe monitoring systems that collect personal information including body data, careers, interpersonal relationships etc.

For more details, please see the Anti-Tochoho.org website (Japanese)

CUJ: Annul and Scrap the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty and the Japan-U.S. Status-of-Forces Agreement

Resolution to make the best use of Japan’s war-renouncing Constitution, and to request the removal of military bases

On May 28, 2010 the governments of Japan and the United States issued a joint statement outlining the relocation of the Futenma base in Ginowan City to Cape Henoko and the adjoining waters near Camp Schwab in Nago City, Okinawa.

Strong anger was the response to the Democratic Party breaking its election campaign pledge. We also note that it amounted to crushing the will of the people as expressed by the 90,000 that gathered in the prefectural rally on April 25, 2010 in Yomitan Village, Okinawa. The strong reaction to the decision drove Prime Minister Hatoyama to resign from his post.

We strongly request the withdrawal of this joint statement confirming the mutual agreement between Japan and the United States. The Futenma base is located on land that was illegally looted, and should not only be returned, but all installations should be removed.

The Relocation of Futenma is an issue that emerged after the abduction and rape of a 12 year old schoolgirl by 3 U.S. Marines in September 1995. After news of this surfaced, some 85,000 people gathered in a massive protest in October 1995 stating that the base in the city could no longer be endured. At that point, both the Japanese and the U.S. governments were frightened by the anger in Okinawa. In December 1996, they issued a report claiming that the Futenma base would be returned, and the Henoko coastal area of Nago City was chosen as a “replacement facility” were a new military installation would be constructed. This location was already under consideration by the U.S. Navy in 1960. It is now again seen as part of the U.S. military reorganization.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between Japan and the U.S. We take this opportunity to request that the Japanese government should annul and scrap the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty and the Japan-U.S. Status-of-Forces Agreement. The reason is that military bases are no longer necessary anywhere.

We thus resolve to make the best use of Japan’s war-renouncing Constitution, and build true peace with all the people in the world, to remove and dismantle the military bases.

Resolution adopted by the participants at the 37th general meeting of Consumers Union of Japan
June 6, 2010

Recent Food Activism

Rice trust movement event in Aigamo, Ibaragi prefecture, Japan

Consumers Union of Japan works closely with a number of local groups around the country and abroad, to promote consumer rights, peace, food safety and food security and many other issues. Here are some recent stories from our office in Nishi-Waseda. Read more in Japanese in CUJ’s newsletter, Consumers Report. To receive the newsletter, please join CUJ by paying a yearly membership fee (7000 Yen). You can also download our English newsletter, Japan Resources, for free.

Japanese Consumers Demand Better Food Labelling System

325,125 people signed a petition demanding better food labelling rules in Japan. The signatures were collected by the No! GMO Campaign over a 6 month period, starting in the fall of 2009. This popular grass root movement strongly supports drastic changes to the current labelling system. An event was held on March 26, 2010 to submit the signatures to legislators at the House of Councilors of the Japanese Parliament in central Tokyo.

The main targets of the push for revised rules are:

1) The ingredients of processed foods should be covered by a traceability system to facilitate mandatory labelling;
2) All genetically modified (GM) foods and animal feed ingredients should be covered by the mandatory GM labelling system; and
3) Any food from cloned animals must be covered by a mandatory labelling system.

The background for these demands is that consumers want to improve the nation’s food self-sufficiency ratio and ensure that our food is safe and healthy. The many signatures confirm that this is a long-held desire of the consumers in Japan.

Many people took the opportunity to add their personal opinions to the petition. One consumer said, “Under the current labelling system, I can not be sure if I am choosing domestic foods or not.” “I want you to make sure that consumers have the right to know and the right to choose,” was another comment. Moreover, participants said, “We want processed foods to be clearly labeled if the ingredients come from GM plants, irregardless of whether there are proteins left in the food or not, just like in the European Union, where a traceability system has made it possible to introduce a comprehensive labelling system.”

This applies especially to food oils and soy sauce, which are currently not covered by Japan’s GM food labelling system, based on the reasoning that genetically modified organisms can not be detected in the final products: “Food manufacturers should not be unaware of what kind of raw material they are using. Not being able to detect DNA is no excuse for not labelling all GM foods.”

The No! GMO Campaign will continue to make every effort to appeal to the government to revise the food labelling system to secure the consumers’ right to choose.

Fifth GMO Free Zone Meeting in Yuza, Yamagata prefecture, Japan

Japanese Activists Hold Nationwide GMO Free Zone Meeting in Yuza

The fifth annual GMO Free Zone meeting with activists from all over Japan was held in Yuza, Yamagata prefecture on March 6, 2010. The goal of the nationwide movement is to create a world without genetically modified (GM) crops. Over 200 people attended the meeting.

This time, the theme was “Development of GMO Free Zones and biological diversity for regional agriculture,” because in October 2010, the tenth Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the fifth Meeting of the Parties of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety will be held in Nagoya, Japan.

We listened to a presentation by Phil Bereano, professor emeritus, University of Washington, who has participated since the start of the Cartagena Protocol negotiations. We also enjoyed the presentation by GMO Free Zone activists from South Korea’s nationwide Consumers’ Co-operative Group, who described their successful efforts to set up South Korea’s first GMO-free zone. This gave the meeting a rich international flavour.

In his keynote address, Keisuke Amagasa from the No! GMO Campaign in Japan described how expanded use of GMO pollutes the environment, causing damage to biological diversity and wildlife. He noted that in May, 2010, the Environmental Medical Science Association in the US issued its official opinion regarding GMOs, warning that there are serious health risks such as allergy, immune function, and pregnancy/childbirth, while also urging people to change their diet.

The total area of registered GMO-free zones in Japan has increased by more than 1,900 ha to reach approx. 55,536 ha as of February 28, 2010. This is equal to about 1 percent of the total area under cultivation in Japan. We concluded that this is actually a powerful grass root movement with the participation of both producers and consumers in the entire country.

A statement was adopted at the end of the meeting in Yuza: “Let’s change the destructive tide of GMOs that dominate the global food trade, with the aim to develop local and regional agriculture for safe food.”

(Photo from Seikatsu Club)

Another World Food Day

October 16 is designated by the United Nation as “World Food Day.” However, there are still over one billion people who suffer from hunger, although the UN has worked since 1961 to eradicate hunger from the world. In 2008, Japan’s nationwide No! GMO Campaign held “Another World Food Day” events, heeding the call from Pesticide Action Network Asia Pacific (PANAP).

Again on October 16, 2009, we held a big meeting to celebrate rice in Tokyo, Japan. The theme of our 2009 Another World Food Day was “Let’s make and eat rice with happiness!”

During this event, we learnt about the severe problems of rice in Asia and Japan. Maki-san from the Teikei Rice Network said: “The daily average consumption of rice has decreased to about half in Japan. Rice fields also have been reduced by 50%. We are entrusting rice farming to people who are now 70 years old or older, with non-commercial farm households. We will not know how to farm rice in the future.”

Tasaka-san from Pesticide Action Network Japan discussed in detail how the so-called “green revolution” had a negative influence on rice farming around Asia. He noted that a huge amount of agricultural chemicals were introduced as a way to get higher yields. He was critical of IRRI, the International Rice Research Institute in The Philippines, which was actively promoting raising production in this dramatic way, but the real effects are an increase in harmful insects and loss of biological diversity – a loss of rice varieties.

During the event, we heard reports from city residents and young people who enjoy rice making. There were also many examples of people who have managed to find ways to maintain and develop abandoned terraced paddy fields, growing both rice and vegetables. Of particular interest were the reports from people working on winter rice fields in projects to promote habitats for tsuru, the Japanese crane, a large migrating bird. This was an excellent example of how farming can contribute to biological diversity.

The event was of course not all talk – we also enjoyed onigiri  (handmade rice balls) and chiffon cake made with rice flour for dessert.

Rice Paddies Trust Movement—Rice Farming With Ducks!

We held an event on May 16, 2009 to plant rice as part of the Aigamo Rice Paddies Trust Movement in Ibaraki prefecture, north of Tokyo. Rice farming with ducks has emerged as a way to produce rice without agricultural chemicals or commercial fertilizers, or with much reduced amounts. The Agaimo ducks swim freely in the paddies, eating weeds and insects that may otherwise harm the rice plants. This way of farming has attracted a lot of attention because it is gentle also to people and the environment as well.

During the event, some 60 participants from the metropolitan area and Tokyo joined the Trust Movement, helping to plant rice. The ducklings were released into the paddies about two weeks after birth on this day. After enjoying lunch together, we introduced the Year of Rice Action and Week of Rice Action held in 13 Asian countries including Japan.

We also discussed the various campaign activities against genetically modified rice, with updates on the prospects of GM rice being introduced in Asian markets.

This event by Japan’s Rice Paddies Trust Movement – rice farming with ducks – was part of our contribution to the Asia-wide campaign aimed at protecting and saving rice as our most precious food.

Change!

Change! The nationwide meeting on January 30, 2010 has passed the following resolution, for a change in the US-Japan relationship, and to not accept the Futenma base to be moved to Henoko. 

January 30, 2010 

In 1996, both the Japanese and the US governments agreed to close the Futenma base inside central Ginowan City in Okinawa, which occupies 1/4 of the city’s land area. It is a very dangerous location for an airport, in the proximity of schools and day care centers, as well as the 3600 citizens of Ginowan. We recall that five years ago, a US military helicopter crashed on the Okinawa International University campus next to the Futenma base. We demand that the Futenma base be returned to Japan unconditionally as a necessary measure to stop helicopters and airplanes in the area. 

However, the Futenma base issue has still not been resolved. The reason is that the US wishes to construct a new base off the coast in Henoko, and claim that the return of Futenma is not possible until this base is ready. The previous Japanese government had agreed to this plan. The cost for constructing a new base at Henoko has been estimated to be 1 trillion yen, a fact that has largely been kept out of the discussion. 

Okinawa is experiencing danger and the destruction of life, and is far from becoming wealthy. In addition, the construction of a new base at Henoko would mean the loss of a natural environment where the dugong lives in the pristine ocean environment. 

We also note that the citizens of Nago have clearly rejected the Henoko plan and voted against the new base construction on January 24, 2010. To defend this public opinion, the citizens and workers in the entire country should join the battle. 

The islands of Okinawa were a battlefield during World War 2, followed by US military occupation. The people are exposed to danger and damage in their daily lives as a result of the military bases. 

The Japan-US security agreement has been in place for 50 years, but the cold war ended 20 years ago. The old security agreement that relies on military deterrent must be fundamentally reviewed. A thorough verification is also needed regarding the budget allocation for US military damage inflicted on Okinawans. 

The review should thoroughly explore the Japan-US security relationship, and find ways to strengthen the peace in East Asia, as suggested in the Hatoyama government’s basic policy outline. 

Prime Minister Hatoyama, you must ease the burden and pain that the citizens of Okinawa are experiencing, as you attempt to solve the problem of the US military bases in the prefecture. Instead of seeing this as an isolated issue, isn’t this the moment when you should take on the big challenge to close and dismantle the US military bases not only in Okinawa but also in the entire country? 

Resolution adopted by the participants at the January 30, 2010 event in Tokyo, Japan, for a change in the US-Japan relationship, and to not accept the Futenma base to be moved to Henoko. 

(Unofficial translation – please refer to the Japanese version signed by meeting participants in Tokyo, Japan on January 30, 2010)

World Peace Now In Tokyo March 20, 2010

Peace groups are gathering at noon in Tokyo on Saturday for a big anti-war event on the 7th anniversary of the Iraq War. The booths with information as well as rally speeches start at 13:00.

Do join the parade, as they call the demonstration, starting at 15:00 from Shiba Koen #4.

Here are the organizations who arrange this World Peace Now event:

憲法改悪・市民連絡会 03(3221)4668
Kenpo Kaiaku Shimin Renrakukai
http://www.annie.ne.jp/~kenpou/

アジア太平洋平和フォーラム(APPF) 03(3252)7651
Asia Pacific Peace Forum (APPF)
http://www5f.biglobe.ne.jp/~red1/APPF/001.htm

日本消費者連盟 03(5155)4765
Consumers Union of Japan
https://www.nishoren.org/en/

ピースボート 03(3363)8047
Peace Boat
http://www.peaceboat.org/english/index.html

平和をつくり出す宗教者ネット 03(3461)9363
Heiwa wo Tsukuridasu Shukyosha Net
(Religious People’s Peace Network)