Formulated in the aftermath of the Second World War, Japan's is the only national constitution that relinquishes the right to use force.

Sadly, the original spirit of Article 9 has been undermined by the manner in which it has been interpreted over the years, for example to allow the creation of a 'Self Defense Force'. There are currently moves to amend the Constitution to allow rearmament. Yoshibumi Wakamiya discusses these issues in an article posted at http://taiwansecurity.org/TT/2002/TT-010702-1.htm

An Invitation from the Japan Catholic Council for Justice & Peace:
"Let us make Article 9 of Japan's Constitution a World Treasure."

The Japan Catholic Council for Justice and Peace has launched an action to preserve and promote Japan's 'peace constitution' as a world treasure. The following invitation to form Peace 9 groups is addressed to people across Japan and the international community is also invited to join in:

"In the 20th century, humanity achieved remarkable progress in science and technology. However, it was also a sad century in which wars and holocausts were repeated. Despite our desire to make the 21st century a peaceful era, last year there occurred the terrorist attack on the New York World Trade Center, followed by the US-led retaliation attack against Afghanistan called "The New War." These events threw the world into great tension again. It is obvious that the negative legacy of the 20th century, such as poverty and oppression, has not disappeared and therefore must be confronted.

Why do such disasters happen even though human beings wish to live in peace and love? How long do we repeat wars and conflicts? What do we have to do to achieve peace? These questions raise demanding answers.

The Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Annan, stated as follows:

No matter how much time and energy we have to spend, unless we build "a culture of peace" and "a civilization of love," a drastic resolution against wars and hatred between nations will never be possible.

Now, let us reflect on Japan's reality. As a nation which has great technological and economic power, Japan can play many roles and is also responsible for world peace. More than anything, Japan needs to be aware of its important position contributing to "the culture of peace," because the Japan Constitution is called the Peace Constitution. The Constitution clearly says that hoping sincerely for everlasting peace, the Japanese people forever renounce war, belligerency, and arms. Thus, in international society, Japan has a very heavy responsibility to stand up and lead the way for peace in the world and to be a mediator toward reconciliation. However, this ideal has not been reflected in reality. Japan is not expected to take such leadership by the international society. Besides this fact, there are movements to revise Japan's Constitution so as to permit its rearmament. In fact, Japan is reaching the point where it nullifies Article 9 of the Constitution, ignoring the spirit of it. Without Article 9, it is clear that Japan will recognize systems that lead to "wars," including such things as a draft system, involving civilians and such. We must stop such movements while Article 9 is still alive. At present, people from all over the world are beginning to pay attention to Article 9 of the Japan Constitution, and are raising their voices in affirmation and support. Now international society easily allows wars and armed attacks in the name of fighting against terrorism. Under such circumstances, Article 9 gives people hope as a precious sign to create "a culture of peace." It is said that in other countries, creating such a constitution is almost impossible however hard people aspire to it and such a constitution is merely "a dream for them to realize someday." Dr. Overby of the United States established the "Group supporting Article 9 of Japan's Constitution," stressing the importance of Article 9 to the world. Therefore, Article 9 is no longer Japan's alone. It now belongs to the world as a treasure for world peace.

Article 9 is still ours. We have not parted with it yet. Therefore, let us protect the Constitution together, spread the message of Article 9 to the world, and take action to pledge the peace embodied in the Constitution. For, taking such action is the very way to build a culture of peace with true happiness and peace for human beings."

Suggested Activity:

Let us create a peace group consisting of units of 3 to 5 people pledged to making Article 9 of Japan's constitution a world treasure both in Japan and overseas.

• The purpose of this activity is to stress the importance of the Peace Constitution (particularly, the preamble and Article 9) and to increase the number of supporters. When the day of a national referendum on amending the Constitution (X day) comes, members will cast a negative vote, unanimously.

• If a unit has more than 6 members, divide into 2. 3 people is the basic unit of a group. The aim of dividing into small groups is so as to have each small group independent and active. Children are welcomed to constitute groups.

• When 3 people who support this activity gather, they may name their group as they like, such as "Peace 9 group ____"and send the registration form to the office. The office numbers each group according to the districts of Japan. For instance, the 10th registered group in Osaka will be counted as Osaka 10. This is to help grasp the number of groups in each district. Also, knowing groups in the same district has the merit of being able to put one group in contact with another so that they may engage in activities in a cooperative manner.

• The activity will be enriched if each group introduces its unique activities, or exchanges materials.

• Communication with the office will be done through E-mail.