What is the JCP?

October 2005

The JCP was founded on July 15, 1922.

At the time Japan was under the despotic rule of the Tenno (Emperor) system. Within the country the Japanese people were deprived of all democratic rights, and outside the country Japan followed the path of wars of aggression and expansion of colonial rule over Asian countries. Outlawed from the outset of its founding, the JCP kept fighting for democratic politics, people’s freedom, and opposition to wars of aggression and colonial rule. In those days the JCP was the only political party in Japan that stood firm in opposition to the wars of aggression.

In 1945, the Pacific War ended with the defeat of Japanese imperialism.

The JCP for the first time won legality and conditions for activity, which marked the beginning of its new advances.

In 1947, the Constitution of Japan came into effect. It expresses the resolve of the Japanese people that "never again...we be visited with the horrors of war through the action of government" and declared that "sovereign power resides with the people." This bore out the correctness of the longstanding position of the JCP that had consistently opposed wars of aggression and called for people’s sovereignty.

During the period 1950-1955, as repression by the U.S. occupation forces swept Japan, the JCP was forced to split by a group connected with the Soviet Union and China. The group worked to bring into Japan fallacious policies from abroad. This brought considerable difficulties to the JCP for the next several years (called the "1950 Question").

Two JCP Congresses that took place during 1958-1961 fully resolved the problems related to the party split and restored party unity, establishing a new course as set out below:

1. A Program of democratic revolution with the central tasks for the full restoration of Japan's sovereignty and democratic change in politics and the economy; and

2. Sovereign independent position that does not allow interference from outside in the Japanese people's movement.

In 1964 the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) began interference and attacks on the JCP. JCP-CPSU relations were normalized in 1979 when the CPSU admitted that it had erred in interfering.

In 1966 the Communist Party of China (CPC) started interference and attacks on the JCP.

In 1968 the JCP opposed the Soviet military intervention in Czechoslovakia.

In 1979 the JCP opposed the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and squarely fought against it.

In 1998 JCP-CPC relations were normalized as the CPC made clear its attitude of "serious examination and rectification" about the error it had made by the past interference.

Relations with Asian Countries

Principle Guideline *Attach importance to promoting friendships and exchanges with Asian countries on the premise that Japan expresses remorse for the history of its war of aggression and colonization. *Champion the international order for peace as established by the UN Charter and oppose any hegemonic attempts to violate or to destroy it. *Exert efforts to establish peaceful coexistence among countries with different social systems and to establish dialogue as well as relations of coexistence among various civilizations with different values.

• In September 1999, a JCP delegation, headed by then Executive Committee Chairman Tetsuzo Fuwa, visited Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong and held talks with officials from the governments, ruling parties, and parliaments.
• In August 2002, JCP Central Committee Chairman Tetsuzo Fuwa visited China and held summit talks with then Communist Party of China General Secretary Jiang Zemin.
• In October 2002, a JCP delegation led by Executive Committee Vice-Chairman Koichiro Ueda visited Cuba.
• In October 2002, a JCP delegation, headed by JCP International Bureau Director Yasuo Ogata, visited Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates and held talks with officials from the governments and parliaments.
• In November 2002, a JCP delegation attended the 2nd International Conference of Asian Political Parties held in Bangkok, Thailand.
• In December 2002, a JCP delegation, headed by JCP Executive Committee Chairman Kazuo Shii, visited India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan and held talks with officials from the government and parliaments.
• In February 2003, a JCP delegation, headed by JCP International Bureau Director Yasuo Ogata, attended the Summit of the Non-aligned countries(NAM) as a guest, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
• In June 2003, a JCP delegation, headed by JCP International Bureau Director Yasuo Ogata, visited Iraq and made investigations into the actual situation under the occupation.
• In July - August 2003, a JCP delegation, headed by JCP CC Chairman Tetsuzo Fuwa, visited Tunisia on the occasion of the Congress of the governing Democratic Constitutional Rally.
• In August 2003, JCP International Bureau Deputy Director Akira Kasai attended the 1st East Asia Congress and the 17th Asia Pacific Roundtable in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
• In October 2003, JCP International Bureau Director Yasuo Ogata attended the Summit of the Organization of Islamic Countries(OIC) in Malaysia, as guest.
• In August 2004, JCP International Bureau Director Yasuo Ogata attended the 14^th NAM Ministerial Conference as a guest, as well as the Asian-African Sub-Regional Organization Conference in South Africa.
• In September 2004, a JCP delegation, headed by Central Committee Chairman Tetsuzo Fuwa attended the 3rd International Conference of Asian Political Parties held in Beijing, China.

The Japan the JCP Is Aiming For

The JCP advocates the theory of a “step-by-step development” of society, to carry out a democratic revolution, and in the next phase aim for a socialist/communist society.

The democratic revolution sets out the following two changes as political objectives:

1. Breaking away from the Japan-U.S. military alliance and dismantling all U.S. military bases (in Japan there are about 130 U.S. military bases), we will fully restore our national sovereignty;

After Japan recovers national sovereignty, we will not join any military alliances, and follow the non-aligned and neutral path by concluding friendly ties with all countries, joining the Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries; and

2. We will change Japan’s economic policy of serving the interests of large corporations and banks to one of defending the interests of the people. We will establish democratic rules that will check tyrannical activities of large corporations and protect the lives and rights of the people.

The JCP is working hard to establish a democratic coalition government in the early part of the 21st century based on the majority in the Diet, and carry out the above -mentioned reforms.

What the JCP Regard as Important in International Activity

The Program adopted at the 2004 JCP 23^rd Congress proposes the following 8-point policy that Japan should adopt as the basic position for peace diplomacy under a democratic coalition government:

1. Reflecting on the wars of aggression and the colonial rule Japan perpetrated in the past, we will attach importance to friendly relations and exchanges with the Asian countries;
2. Defending the international order for peace provided for in the UN Charter, we will oppose any hegemonic attempt which would violate or destroy that order;
3. We will work for prevention of nuclear war and elimination of nuclear weapons, which have bearings on the life and death of human beings; safeguarding the right of nations to self-determination; general disarmament, dismantling of all the military blocs, and the withdrawal of foreign military bases;
4. We will oppose both indiscriminate terrorist actions and retaliatory war which would sacrifice people, and try to develop international public opinion and support joint actions to eliminate terrorism;
5. We will work for the reversion of the Chishima (Kurile) Islands, and Habomai and Shikotan Islands, which are Japan’s historical territories;
6. We will take action to stop irresponsible activities of transnational corporations, protect the environment of the earth, and check the economic hegemonism of some of the big powers. We will work for establishing a democratic international economic order based on respect for economic sovereignty of all nations and their equality and impartiality;
7. We will work for peaceful solution of conflicts. We will also actively engage in international aid activity by non-military means, with the aim of resolving humanitarian problems, including disaster, refugees, poverty and starvation; and
8. We will make efforts to establish relations of peaceful coexistence between countries with different social systems, and of dialogue and coexistence among civilizations with diverse values.

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