Japan Press Weekly

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2025 April 30 - May 13 [POLITICS]

JCP and Japan bar association agree to defend ideal of present Constitution and rule of law

The Japanese Communist Party leadership on May 7 met with its counterpart from the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA) in Tokyo and agreed to realize the ideal of the present Constitution and defend the rule of law.

At the meeting hosted by the JFBA political league, JFBA President Fuchigami Reiko, 15 vice presidents, the JFBA secretary general, JCP Executive Committee Chair Tamura Tomoko, JCP Secretariat Head Koike Akira, and five JCP Dietmembers were present.

Kobayashi Motoji, director of the JFBA political league, pointed out that universal values such as freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, have been challenged around the world. He said that the JCP is highly esteemed for its watchdog role shown in the Sunday Akahata’s scoop regarding the Liberal Democratic Party’s slush-fund scandal, and expressed expectations that the JCP will increase its presence in the public domain in order to protect universal values and the rule of law.

JCP EC Chair Tamura noted that JFBA President Fuchigami has been criticizing the government policy of drastically increasing its military spending based on the three key national security documents and the government-proposed bill aimed at dismantling the Science Council of Japan. She stressed that the JCP will work hard to greatly expand collaboration with the JFBA against the active cyber defense bill and other government attempts to change Japan into a war-fighting nation. She also expressed her determination to realize the introduction of a selective dual surname system in the current Diet session.

JCP Secretariat Head Koike said that the JCP will stand squarely in opposition to a move in the Diet that seeks to flatly deny postwar Japan’s history shaped by the present Constitution and will conduct Diet discussions that will help showcase the value of the pacifist Japanese Constitution. He went on to say that together with the JFBA, the JCP will do its utmost to make full use of constitutional ideals as expressed in the preamble: “We recognize that all peoples of the world have the right to live in peace, free from fear and want.”