JCP Shii criticizes Medvedev’s visit to Kunashiri

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on November 1 published a comment in protest against the visit to Kunashiri Island, one of the Chishima Islands (Kuril) which have been historically Japan territory, by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

DPJ breaks its public promise by accepting corporate donations

The Democratic Party of Japan on October 26 announced that it will accept political donations from corporations and other political interest organizations, which the party had suspended since the change of government in September 2009.

Japan-US business circles call for Japan’s entry into TPP

Japanese and U.S. business circles are increasing their calls on the Japanese government to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), a multilateral free trade agreement lifting all tariff-barriers, which is raising concerns among Japanese farmers.

Historical record of Japan-Russia territorial question

The Japanese Communist Party, since it published a statement on the Chishima Islands in 1969, has called for the return of the islands as well as Habomai and Shikotan islands to Japan. The JCP’s Program states that Japan should “[s]eek to achieve the return to Japan of the Chishima (Kurile) Islands as well as the Habomai Islands and Shikotan Island, which are historically part of Japan.” This is a reasonable claim based on the historical record.

A base-free Okinawa can achieve self-sustained economy

Japanese Communist Party representative Akamine Seiken at a Lower House Budget Committee meeting on November 1 stated that the return of all U.S. bases in Okinawa will bring about economic benefits of 915.6 billion yen to Okinawa and demanded that the government make efforts to get these U.S. base sites back to Japan.