TokyoNow: Picture book on war contingency laws flying off shelves

By Keiji Hirano

TOKYO, Aug. 10, Kyodo - A small picture book about Japan's war contingency legislation titled ''What Happens Before War?'' is attracting many readers.
It was initially published in June as a privately-printed edition by its some 20 authors, who had held study sessions to discuss their concerns that the legislation could pave the way for Japan's involvement in a war.

''We wanted to share such concerns with people through this book,'' said Hiroko Inoue, one of the members of the study group.

The authors first posted the book on their website, and then allowed readers to download it. They eventually published a small version priced at 300 yen.

But when it unexpectedly sold more than 30,000 copies, major Tokyo-based publisher, Magazine House Ltd., decided to reedit it so it could be sold more widely.

The new version, priced at 600 yen, comes with an English translation and more illustrations ''with expectations that foreign people will read it, too,'' Inoue said.

The book, whose Japanese title is ''Senso-no-Tsukurikata (How to Wage War),'' tells readers: ''Almost 60 years ago Japan made a promise never to go to war again...But, by changing the way a country works and the decisions it has made in the past, even a country that has promised never to go to war, can become a country that is able to go to war.''

Citing the expected paths to war, the book notes, ''The Self-Defense Forces, which were only meant for the defense of Japan, will go with guns to other countries.''

''They'll say that they're going to save people hurting from war so that they could keep peace in the world. They'll also say that when it seems like they'll be attacked, they'll attack first.''

While everyone will normally take part in war drills, children will be taught at schools ''what good citizens must and must not do.''

Surveillance cameras will be placed in cities to check suspicious people, and ''we'll start watching each other suspiciously, to make sure that everyone around us are good citizens.''

The army will be allowed to use stores, other people's property and even individual houses whenever a war happens or is about to happen, while people like airplane pilots, doctors and nurses will be required to help the army do their work, the book says.

When the government decides to go to war or when it says that this is for the international contribution, ''you will be able to lay down your life'' for the country and for the good of the world, the book notes, adding, ''You will be able to kill people in war.''

''Everything you have been taught about the importance of every human life up to now will turn out to be wrong. The most important thing will be the country,'' the book says, reflecting concerns over the current reemergence of nationalism in Japan.

The simple and colorful illustrations, meanwhile, make the contents of the book easy to understand.

The issue is a package of seven laws approved by the Diet on June 14, which represent Japan's first post-World War II legislation to counter a foreign military attack. It centers on a law stipulating government steps to evacuate and protect the people in contingencies.

Two of laws are intended to facilitate U.S. military operations in the event of an attack or imminent attack on Japan and to enable Japan to supply provisions to the U.S. forces during peacetime and in such an emergency.

The other five address measures to be taken in an emergency to evacuate and protect the people, to raid ships in and around Japanese waters and give priority to military use of public facilities.

''We are planning to publish Chinese and Korean translations by the end of this year in order to send messages to our neighbors that there are people in Japan who feel uneasy about the current mood of disquiet,'' said Shuji Sakawaki, managing editor at Magazine House.

The authors, including lawyer and translator, are concerned that preparations for waging war will be accelerated in Japan under the legislation. ''We wanted to convey these concerns to the public with the picture book,'' Inoue said.

They exchanged more than 1,500 e-mails in May to work on their manuscript and published the first booklet on June 1, which was distributed to all lawmakers in the Diet.

Reflecting the authors' wishes, the book concludes, ''We can choose our own future. We can also choose not to go to war.''

http://home.kyodo.co.jp/all/display.jsp?an=20040810041

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