'This is Japanese Communist Party'
Brochure introducing JCP's activities, achievements, and history

Presented below is a translation of the latest Japanese Communist Party brochure produced to make the party known to the public in preparation for the House of Councilors election, the first parliamentary election in the 21st century. The brochure was distributed door to door throughout the country.

Text begins:

How are you doing? The new cabinet under Prime Minister Koizumi is busy calling for "reforms." We would like you to know which party is really serious about true reforms that benefit the people.

Throughout its 79-year history, the JCP has stood firmly for the principle "The people are the key players." This brochure talks about the JCP joining forces with the public to solidly achieve results, and about its members being present everywhere throughout the country, from grassroots-based movements to the Diet.

The JCP heralded democracy

The Japanese Constitution proclaims that "sovereign power resides with the people." In the prewar days, the JCP was the only party that called for this principle in defiance of all forms of persecution.

In the course of establishing the Japanese Constitution after the end of World War II, the JCP was the only party to insist on the establishment of the constitutional principle of the people's sovereignty, thus heralding Japanese democracy.

The JCP, which firmly opposed the war of aggression, now champions the Constitution

The Pacific War took the lives of countless people throughout Asia as well as in Japan. We consistently opposed this war of aggression. Our strenuous efforts produced results when Japan renounced war and declared that it will not maintain armed forces in the Constitution. We are proud of being a party with a history that confirms the JCP's capacity to defend Article 9.

The JCP's Asia diplomacy is increasingly acclaimed

In all circumstances, we call for problems to be solved through careful negotiations. The JCP stance is embraced and trusted by many Asian countries.

Korean question : In an effort to make a breakthrough in the slow process toward opening Japan-North Korea relations, the JCP has called for a negotiation channel in place of the policy solely depending on military approaches. The United States and South Korean governments welcome this as a reasonable proposal. Our proposal has thus contributed to opening a diplomatic channel between Japan and North Korea.

Taiwan question: When tension increased in April last year between China and Taiwan, we made a straightforward suggestion that the Chinese government make efforts to attract the hearts and minds of Taiwan residents. China was serious in responding to this call. The Chinese government no more says, "Taiwan is part of China." It instead says, "Continental China and Taiwan forms China," an expression that respects the sentiments of Taiwan residents.

The JCP has influential role to play in real politics

The JCP makes it a rule to be unyielding in an effort to achieve public needs, and this stance works as the driving force for changing politics.

-- We have long been working to get rid of wasteful public works projects. The Nagano governor has declared that his prefecture would break away from wasteful dam construction projects. As a result of the Tokushima referendum, the movable dam construction project was canceled. Doing away with wasteful public works projects makes political common sense.

-- In 1971, we began calling on the parliament to enact free medical care for small children. The movement has spread all over the country, and more than 90 percent of the nation's municipalities now implement free medical care for children up to 3 years old. We are now continuing the movement to make it a national system.

-- More than 25 years ago, we began efforts to achieve legislation to eliminate unpaid overtime work. We raised the question well over a hundred times in the Diet. The government long refused to listen to our call, saying that, "it's a matter to be dealt with by employers and employees." But our movement produced results. In April, the Welfare and Labor Ministry issued a circular calling on local governments to work for the elimination of unpaid overtime work.

Discussions and joint action with a wide-range of the people for a better Japan

In an effort to make Japan better, we are discussing and taking actions on many issues with a wide range of people in the business world, mayors, men and women of culture, and religious people regardless of political orientation.

The JCP is a party of sovereign independence

Japanese affairs must be decided by the Japanese people. We will not tolerate any outrages against Japan by any great power. We fought courageously against interference, obstructions, and other unreasonable acts by the former Soviet Union and China. We repelled their attacks successfully.

The JCP's position of sovereign independence is now well-known internationally.

Toward a society in which freedom and democracy flower

Social reform will follow majority opinion of people

We seek to change the fundamentals of LDP politics to create a new Japan in which the people will be the key players. This is the immediate major goal in which we are set to carry out democratic change within the framework of capitalism. We hold that social progress and development is like going up stairs step by step, always based on the consensus of a majority of the people.

Future society we envisage

We don't regard capitalist society as everlasting. We envisage an evolution of society. Humanity will someday overcome the capitalist rule that profitability is everything and the "after us, the deluge" attitude in order to create a socialist society in which people truly are the democratic participants in the society, and equal and free human relations are established.

The society we want to build will never tolerate violations of freedom, different from the former Soviet Union.

It will be a society that takes over all valuable gains human beings have achieved in the capitalist period, a society in which freedom and democracy will be in full bloom.

JCP IN FIGURES

The number of JCP local assembly members is larger than that of any other party

The number of JCP members of prefectural and municipal assemblies is 4,435, which includes 1,300 women members (as of June 24, 2001). The Liberal Democratic Party has 3,507 members, followed by the Komei Party with 3,244, and the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) with 854.

As a result of the recent Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly election, the JCP seats decreased to 15 from 26. However, note the number of votes cast. The JCP received 748,000 votes (which placed the JCP second after the LDP). The number is the third largest the JCP ever got in past Tokyo Metropolitan elections. The JCP votes as a percentage was 15.6%, higher than the 14.3% it received in the proportional representation constituencies of the 2000 House of Representatives election. An NHK exit poll shows that 17% of uncommitted voters voted for the JCP, a rate next to the LDP.

The JCP is a clean party supported by people's contribution

The JCP finance depends on party dues, income from the Akahata newspaper, and donations from individuals, all untainted money. We refuse to receive donations from companies and organizations or state subsidies, which we regard as sources of corruption.

Following are the total amounts of money other political parties received as state subsidies from 1995 to 2001:

Liberal Democratic Party: 100.3 billion yen
Komei Party: 12.3 billion yen
Democratic Party of Japan: 31.5 billion yen
Social Democratic Party: 22.3 billion yen
Liberal Party: 8.1 billion yen

Akahata has correspondents in 12 countries

The Akahata newspaper has correspondents in 12 countries to report world events for two million Akahata readers.

The JCP has 26,000 branches and 390,000 members at the grassroots level

We welcome anyone who is willing to work for a better world. In the past year, more than 10,000 people joined the JCP, bringing the total membership to 390,000. With its 26,000 branches established in workplaces, localities, and schools, the JCP is making strenuous efforts to change politics.

The JCP has always been with the leprosy patients in their court struggle:

Leprosy patients who have been institutionally discriminated against know that the JCP has always supported their cause and encouraged their struggle for the restoration of their basic human rights. In their lawsuit against the government, leprosy patients won a historic victory. Their grassroots movement joining forces with JCP branches at isolation sanatoriums throughout the country succeeded in reversing the government's policy of isolation of leprosy patients.

JCP in parliamentary activities has made constructive proposals

A newspaper reported that "a JCP member of the Upper House (during a 6-year term) rose 116 times on average to question the government, far more than the other parties' members" (Asahi Shimbun, April 30, 2001). The number of signatures on petitions to the Diet which the JCP received was 26.44 million (from January 31 to May 10, 2001). These petitions carry the various desires of those who gave their signatures. This number is five times more than what the LDP received.

The JCP is the number one party in terms of the number of bills proposed by Dietmembers: the JCP 19.5 bills per member in the House of Councilors during a six-year term, the DPJ and the SDP 2.0, the LP 1.7, Komei 1.3, New Conservative 0.5, and the LDP 0.3 (Asahi Shimbun, April 30, 2001). (end)