May 6, 2026

Japanese Communist Party Central Committee Chair Shii Kazuo, who is visiting Canada after participating in the NPT Review Conference in New York City, spoke at a discussion forum that deals with various themes, including international politics and Marx’s Capital, held at York University in Toronto.

This event was hosted by Marcello Musto, a professor of sociology at York University. He met with Shii in Tokyo in December 2025.

The two-part forum was attended by 60 people, including academics and students at universities in Toronto, social activists, and journalists.

In a question-and-answer session, asked why the JCP has a “strong presence” in Japan at a time when the left-wing forces are in a tough situation globally, Shii in response said, “The biggest reason is that the JCP has firmly acted in line with its sovereign independence policy under which we decide for ourselves what course of action to take.”

Shii referred to the JCP’s fight against unfair intervention or interference from the former Soviet Union and China’s Mao Zedong group in the 1960s. He said that with its tenacious fight, the JCP had finally succeeded in making the two parties admit their wrongdoings, adding, “The JCP is the only political party that forced the two major powers to admit their mistakes.”

Shii also delivered a speech in English titled, “Freely Disposable Time and the Theory of the Future Society”.

Shii pointed out that Marx had envisioned a future society where everyone has sufficient “disposable time” and can achieve “the free development of each individual”. He also stated, “The struggle to expand ‘disposable time’ is not only a central focus of the modern labor movement but also significant in preparing for a future society.”

Shii said, “Regarding the pressing issues we are facing in this century, Marx’s ‘Capital’ provides insights that serve as a stepping stone to a solution.” He went on to say, “I really feel that human society has finally caught up with the pioneering theories which Marx presented in ‘Capital’.”

After the forum concluded, Shii enjoyed interacting with the participants who gathered around him to ask more questions, exchange impressions, and take photos together.