Ginowan mayoral election focusing on Futenma base issue kicks off

On February 5 in Ginowan City in Okinawa, anti-base candidate Iha Yoichi in his kick-off speech for the February 12 mayoral election said, “Until the United States declares its intent to return the Futenma base, I will jointly struggle with residents to win that objective.”

Koike talks about crisis of capitalism on TV

Japanese Communist Party Policy Commission Chair Koike Akira appeared on a TV news program entitled, “Has global capitalism a future?”, aired on February 2.

1,704 file suit seeking shutdown of Genkai nuclear plant

A group of 1,704 people on January 31 filed a lawsuit with the Saga District Court, seeking the discontinuation of operations of all four reactors at the Genkai Nuclear Power Plant of Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc. in Genkai Town in Saga Prefecture.