The genesis No. 1 (Part Two)-A Question over the Japanese Leftists' Concept of Peace

Those who have not viewed "The genesis No. 1 (Part One)" should go through it before going into "The genesis No. 1 (Part Two)" below.

Viewers should acknowledge the following "Rules of the Play" laid down before it began:

1. I try to be accurate when translating all the discourses I came across in preparing for this presentation. 2. I try to be concise enough to point out the aspects possibly related to the play when translating all the discourses I came across in preparing for this presentation. 3. Whatever discourses I translate will remain tentative until I get satisfied with their accuracy.4. I reserve the right to decide which discourses I choose for this play.

Characters of The genesis No. 1 (Part Two):

Mr. Toshio Tamogami is one who is said to represent the silent majority in Japan and ex-Chief of Staff of Japan's Air Self-Defense Force from March 2007 to November 2008.

Mr. Katsuei Hirasawa is a member of the House of Representatives at the National Diet of Japan for the Liberal Democratic Party (hereinafter referred to as "LDP").

Mr. Itchita Yamamoto is a member of the House of Representatives at the National Diet of Japan for LDP.

Mr. Akira Nagashima is a member of the House of Representatives at the National Diet of Japan for the Democratic Party of Japan (hereinafter referred to as "DPJ").

Mr. Kazunori Yamai is a member of the House of Representatives at the National Diet of Japan for DPJ.

Mr. Keiji Kakuta is a member of the House of Representatives at the National Diet of Japan for the Japanese Communist Party (hereinafter refereed to as "JCP").

Mr. Hisayuki Miyake is a very popular Japanese political critic and commentator, well-known for the fact that he was an immediate boss of Mr.Takichi Nishiyama who scooped a secret agreement on return of Okinawa to Japan made between President Richard Nixon and Prime Minister Eisaku Sato and who was later arrested for violation of Public Employees Law.

Mr.Masahiko Katsuya is a columnist, photographer, etc.

Mr. Takuro Morinaga is an economist, talent, etc.

The second video footage in which Mr. Toshio Tamogami is introduced as a controversial man on a popular TV program called "TV Tackle" aired on Feb, 2009

Discourses in the second video footage:

Mr. Morinaga said: I consider Mr.Tamogami quite dangerous because of your failure to respect the fact that JSDF must adhere to a doctrine of civilian control (of the military), because of your rejection to write a letter of resignation, and because of your disregard to the decision made by Nagoya High Court. This kind of man may run out of control if something happens.

Mr. Tamogami said: I will have to tell you why I said "Who cares about it?" I said it because I tried to encourage those working in Iraq risking their lives. And, I meant to say that as far as they are concerned, they don't care who says what! because their lives are at risk while executing the orders in Iraq.

Mr.Katsuya said: That decision is not meant to stop the activities being carried out by JSDF. If the Supreme Court judged that JSDF itself was unconstitutional, thereby ordering JSDF to be dismantled, those working in Iraq might have been affected. But that's not a case. Mr. Tamogami said "Who cares about it!", trying to encourage them to execute the orders without worrying about what a decision by Nagoya High Court might imply.

Mr. Morinaga said: Just because the Supreme Court doesn't give any proper judgement over it, those judges at Nagoya High Court desperately made such a decision as the deployment of Air Self-Defense Force in Iraq being partially unconstitutional. Didn't they?

Mr. Miyake said: No, you are wrong. I just don't know if you have any knowledge of judgement based on  "a matter in controversy is a political question". That is, if a matter in question is found to be the one the Supreme Court feels it is prudent not to interfere, no such a decision as the one made by Nagoya High Court will ever be made. For example, political questions over JSDF and U.S.-Japan Security Pact found to be unconstitutional at the lower courts but the Supreme Court has always rejected any decisions made at the lower courts.

Mr. Kakuta said: Mr. Tamogami! This is not just a matter of JSDF deployment in Iraq but he served as Commandant (Head) of JSDF Joint Staff College since 2002. There are two points I would like to emphasize. One is that he as a high ranking public servant was obliged to protect our Constitution and at the same time to keep our starting point "self-examination" after WWII in his mind. This is not his personal matter. There is another problem we should be concerned with. That is, he had possibly produced 2nd and 3rd Tamogami by transferring his historical perspectives, his national outlook, etc. to the students at JSDF Joint Staff College by emphasizing that Japan was right about what it did in the last war and our present constitution is wrong. Your role should have been found in the area of eliminating any discrepancies, we know of, existing between the overseas deployment of JSDF and our present constitution.

Mr. Tamogami said: What's wrong with the military men expressing our historical perspectives? I've never objected our national policy at all.

Mr. Morinaga said: Mr. Tamogami has repeatedly said "military men" but you are not "a military man" at all. Just a personnel of Self-Defense Forces. Our constitution prohibits us from having the military power.

Mr. Tamogami said: If so, no civilian control of the military can be established at all.

Mr.Katsuya said: JSDF is a military power. That's why civilian control of the military can be justified. Cowards have kept their eyes closed not to see the reality.

Mr. Tamogami said: Mr. Morinaga! I find it useless to talk to you.

Mr. Yamai said: Your statement has possibly undermined our people's confidence in JSDF. It also differs from our national views. Above all, the ruling party should assume responsibility for your appointment as Chief of Staff of Japan's Air Self-Defense Force.

Mr. Tamogami said: I just simply said Japan was good. They said to me "What the hell you are saying? I was reprimanded for my statement of "Japan was good." And, they said "You are fired!"



Mr. Nagashima said: If you justify part of our history in which aggression cannot be denied-----I don't deny everything from A to Z of what Mr. Tamogami says.

Mr. Hirasawa said: The essay competition Mr. Tamogami participated in was just organized by one private company. How they decided who's a winner seems somehow unclear.

Mr. Tamogami said: I am not a historian. So, details of our history should be left to historians. However, what I stress is what do we teach our history for?

Mr. Nagashima said: That is not your work. I know that Japan has been too much obsessed with masochistic view of history. As Chief of Staff of Japan's Air Self-Defense Force, you should have developed well-balanced discussion in your essay.  

Mr. Tamogami said: There are many different comments on my essay. I know some people who appreciate my essay highly.

Mr. Yamamoto said: As you know, our constitution guarantees freedom of speech, beliefs, etc. However, I believe that what Mr. Tamogami said was inappropriate because his views differ from our national views.

Mr. Tamogami said: What I want you all to think is "How can JSDF develop into "Forces ready to fight"? and How can we fight with "Murayama Statement" hanging over us?

Mr. Morinaga said: Why does JSDF have to fight? It is not the military at all.

Mr.Katsuya said: You! Stop arguing like that! You are a hypocrite! If you don't like JSDF that much, you dismantle it all by yourself!

Mr. Tamogami said: Once JSDF gets ready to fight anytime, it will serve as a deterrent. Look at North Korean spy ships freely coming into our territorial waters.  If we destroy and sink them, they will never come back here again.

Note:
1. This series will last longer than you might think.
2. Today, I tried to translate as much as I could, considering that our series has just begun.
3. The Japan Coast Guard encountered a North Korean Spy ship on Friday 21, December, 2001. It was chased by twenty Japan Coast Guard vessels. It was sunken in the Southwest Sea of Kyushu. Watch this video showing the actual battle between them:

4. Related website "Battle of Amami-Oshima  http://bit.ly/iivAz5
5. 村山談話 Murayama danwa has been translated into English as Murayama statement as if to say it is an official statement made in 1995 by Prime Minister of Japan Mr. Murayama (the then chairman of Japan Socialist Party who always opposed Japan's alliance with U.S. , 81st Prime Minister of Japan, the coalition government formed by Liberal Democratic Party, Japan Socialist Party, and New Party Sakigake).
However, "談話 Danwa" literally means "talk" in English.