30,000 the chairperson of the National Japanese Congress against Atomic and Hydrogen bombs (Gensuikin). The park was again packed the next morning on the anniversary of the bombing. At exactly 6.15, the time of the explosion, everyone stood to observe a minute's silence for the victims. At 8.21 a flock of doves was released to symbolise the wish of the people of Hiroshima for peace. people assembled on the evening of 5 August in Hiroshima's Peace Park to hear an appeal by report from Tokyo.
THIS YEAR a new wave of anti-nuclear sentiment has developed Japan which has mobilised hundreds of thousands of people. Many lett-wing activists were taken by surPhoto:
wien 200,000 people responded to a call by the SOHYO* 9 national union federation demonstratior in Hiroshima against nuclear I weapons Two 400 attended a second later on 23 May in Tokyo, rally again called by SOHYO In a governea policy 'neither manufacture nor Challenge possess, nor allow the introduction of nuclear weapons', the for such a movement would seem to be missing. In fact the reason lies in Japan's specia relationship the United OLLe Amenca.
The crux of this specia relationship is AMPO, the Japan-US Security Treaty Signed shortly after the end of the US occupation the US armed torces virtually unrestricted access to Japanese land and naval bases and air space. It has always been unpopular class. Hundreds thousands demonstrated when the US was using Japan as a staging post for the war in Vietnam.
Against LNTS background, the roots of the ment can be traced back to the candid remarks of exUS ambassador Edwin O Reischauer in April 1981, that if the US wished to weapons at SLUIC autical their facilities in Japanese ports, they would feel free to do so without prior consultation Japanese government. short, the US military car do what it likes in Japan, and to hell with the wishes Japanese people The Japanese governmen could only plead ignorance, since the terms of AMPO they have no right to know anything US military abou tivities in Japan.
Militant The immediate result of this War a small but militant demonstration against the USS • Midway entering Yokosuka Naval south-west Dase Tokyo, the following Fonte TO foist us-Japan The was and lava lilalivucycls was widely believed to be equipped nuclear missiles.
Between these two events, in early May, the Japanese and US governments had issued a joint communique describing their relationship 'alliance' — interpreted by many commentators meaning a military alliance. The reason that this caused such dismay here is that gressive forces defend to- most famous Article y ot the constitution, which renounces Japan's right to war Accordingly, for several years, there have been many indicators oblique, the most recen actions of the Educatio Ministry censorin school history quite clear. The Ministr nas insistea mal lne wo. ding of textbooks changed Japan's invasion of China etc 'advance' rather than and tha Invasion, passages describin JaDallesc atrocities those countries should b toned down before it wi approve them. This actio has caused a storm of pro test from the countries 1 question and Japa itself. The remains mant, simply insisting tha it will make more effort : explain its reasons to thos countries Although
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spending his holiday in Japan. Chris is a CND activist and has been concerned to find out about the Japanese movement. He sent us this