Press translations [Japan]. Political Series 0102, 1945-12-21.

Extracts:

Tass News Agency at TOYOHARA reported on 20 December the following in regard to the tendencies of political parties in JAPAN, under the title of "The Present Condition of JAPAN":

• 1."Members of Parliament evading responsibility - According to a report from TOKYO, the Diet, in session for a week and a half, revealed its inability to handle problems which were submitted to it. The Members of Parliament are all anxious to escape war responsibility and to prepare campaign plans for their success in the forthcoming general election. The Diet is not vigorous and is virtually being sabotaged. The number of Parliament members who have been absent at this Diet is no less than 25 or 30 per cent of all members. The committee in the Diet meetings have often failed to reach decisions due to lack of quorum. No bill has been passed during the last ten days, in spite of the imminent adjournment. Needless to say, the Diet is absolutely and entirely in favor of the Emperor System. The problems of reorganization of the House of Peers, the breakup of the Privy Council, and the revision of the Constitition have not yet been solved. Pressed by the national feelings of the day, the press circles of JAPAN have begun to attack the Government."
• 2."The Progressive Party, and the Social Democratic Party - We can easily see failure and incompetence reflected in the various political parties. The Progressive Party, which is the major party, is on the brink of ruin. This is due not only to its serious internal trouble, but also to the arrest of SAKURAI and OTA as suspected war criminals. The former is very influential, and the latter is a policy maker of the party. The Liberal Party, which is contrary to its title, almost the same in attitude as the Progressive Party, seems to expend all its efforts on making its members evade war responsibility. The leaders of the Social Democratic Party all defend the immutability of the Emperor System. They refused two proposals from the Communist Party to form a united front. The Social Democratic Party appears to be a kind of retreat for those who want to leave the Progressive Party for various reasons. At this Diet session, it has often collaborated with the Liberal Party."
• 3."The Communist Party - The Communist Party has slowly increased its power. At its general meeting, which was held from 1 December to 3 December, about five hundred representatives of various districts in the country were present. TOKUDA explained the duty of the Party at the general meeting, saying that the party should fight for the maintenance of the common man, the increase of production of industry and agriculture, and the establishment of the republican system in the country. The party's view is that if the Emperor System continues, the fundamental
  
  
  

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  national problems can not be solved. At the general meeting a central committee, composed of seven members, was chosen, and TOKUDA was elected chief secretary. Besides these decisions, the Young People's Communist League was established."
• 4."Farmers' lack of confidence in the Government - One of the chief characterisitics of the present JAPAN is the dissipation of political power. People in general are looking forward to the democratization of the country. However, nearly all the newspapers in the country are keeping silent about the present condition of rural life. According to some data, the Government, as well as the local authorities, has lost the confidence of the farmer. Therefore, the farmers do not expect agrarian reform from the present Government. NIPPON Times, on 10 December, wrote that fifteen representatives of AKITA Prefecture asked the Government to buy all the land from landowners and to distribute it to the farmers."

Full translation:

In CHIBA-Ken the Progressive Party, with its seven former representatives, TADA, Mitsunaga, SHINOHARA, Rikuro, NARISHIMA, Isamu, NAKAMURA, Yoichiro, KOTAKA, Chozaburo, IMAI, Takehiko, and ITO, Kiyoshi, is still ahead of the other parties. These representatives are all making preparations to stand as candidates. The JAPAN National Party, a new political party, has already announced its intention to run the new men, NOGUCHI, Noboru and USUI, Soichi. The latter was defeated in the last election and is now a member of the prefectural assembly. The Communist Party has informally decided to select KAMIYAMA, Shigeo, and the Social Democrat Party has decided to nominate FURUKAWA, Kanemichi, who is backed by the fishing villages because of his movement for a fishermen's union. He is Chief of the Fishermen's United Association in CHIBA-Ken. Besides him, this Party has two more seats in the Diet, according to the major electorate system. One member is dead, and HIRATORI, Toshio, has declined nomination because he was listed as a war criminal suspect. At present, then, with two party seats in the Diet vacant, at least four men are expected to run as candidates. Thus, the Communist Party, which appeals to the war sufferers of the prefecture, and the Social Democratic Party, which relies on the fishing villages, have the advantage.

The major electorate system is also favorable to candidates who have such backing as food and agricultural associations. As a whole, voters in this prefecture are generally not much interested in the election. An active movement is not yet visible either among young men or women.

In SHITAMA-Ken there are 16 or 17 parties, including the Progressive, the Liberal, the Social Democratic, the Communist, and other parties. These numerous parties are each expected to develop energetic campaigns. Under the present situation, nine Progressive Party candidates are certain to stand for election. Of these, seven are former representatives and the other two are present members of the prefectural assembly. The Social Democrat Party has four, the Liberal Party three, and the other parties six, making 22 in all. If we add to those 11 others who are expected to run, we can number 33 candidates running for 13 vacancies. This shows a tendency to run too many candidates. Accordingly, keen

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contests between candidates are predicted. However, the plural ballot system will give birth to compromise rather than to competition, and it is favorable to a majority party. The number of voters in the coming election is three times as large as that of the last election. Among the newly enfranchised voters, there are many influential persons who want to oust all the former representatives. Therefore, the majority party cannot necessarily lean back and relax. However, as women voters have not yet achieved political discipline, and elderly persons and young men have not yet rid themselves of conventionality and partisanship, it is presumed that new men will find it quite difficult to win.

The Progressive and Social Democrat Parties in IBARAGI-Ken held their respective inauguration ceremonies of their branch offices recently. Besides these, the Communist Party held a round table conference, and the JAPAN National Party held rallies at various places in the prefecture. Other parties and individuals are also holding political rallies.

In this prefecture, the number of Diet seats has increased by two, making 13 in all. Among the former representatives, WATANABE, Ken, OZAWA, Osamu. YANAGAYA, Soza[illegible]mon, KAWASAKI, Minotaro, NAKAIGAWA, Hiroshi, YAMAMOTO, Kumekichi, SATO, Yonosuke and AKAGI, Sotoku, eight in all, are sure to be candidates.

The veteran politicians, YAMAZAKI, Takeshi, and HARI, Shingoro, representing the Literal Party, and OUCHI, Takenosuke, representing the Progressive Party, are also expected to run.

As new men, HAZAMA, Shigeru, ex-governor of the prefecture and former Vice-Minister of the Home Office; SUGITA, Shogo; HIRAMOTO, Hisashi; HARA, Hyō (Mayor of TSUCHIURA-Shi and son of the late HARA, Shujiro); ONOSE, Chūbei; YAMAMOTO, Takehiko: AMAYA, Kikuo; HORIGUCHI, Kando; HASHIMOTO, Tomisaburo; FUKUCHI, Shuzo, and DAITOKU Shōchi will be sure to run.

Of the present members of the Prefectural Assembly, KAWAMURA, Mamoru; KAWARADA, Iwao; NAKAYAMA, Eichi; KOIZUMI, Taku; KIKUCHI, Yutaka; SUZUKI, Gojiro; GOIBUCHI. Shocho, arid others are expected to run, while the Social Democrat Party is planning to run one or two candidates besides HOSODA, Kōikchi and KIKUCHI, Jusaku.

The Communist Party is planning to run OZAWA, Yujiro; YUGE, Tokuji; and MITAMURA, Shiro from the prefecture. The JAPAN Reform Party is also expected to run candidates.

In TOCHIGI-Ken the Social Democrat Party is the only one that has established a branch office. The Progressive Party, because of its internal struggle, has been unable to open a branch here. The Liberal Party, having no former representatives here, has not even attempted to inaugurate a branch office. As for the other parties, the JAPAN National Party, the Young Men's Liberal Party, and others, like the Communists, are lining up their respective constituencies.

Those who are sure to stand as candidates are: MATSUMURA, Kōzō; TAKATA; Umpei; SUGAMATA, Kaoru: YABE, Toshichi; and SAKUMA, Wataru, from the Progressive Party; FUNDA, Naka and MORISHITA, Kunio, from the Independents; KANEKO, Masutaro, representing the Social Democrat Party; TOKANŌ, Takeshi from the National Party; and NIISATO, Hōzō, unaffiliated. Besides these, more than ten other candidates are expected to appear. Due to the new

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election law, the constituency of the Progressive Party is estimated to have decreased by half as compared with that at the time of the Imperial Rule Assistance Association. The Social Democrat Party is active in forming a proletariat union appealing to the working classes of the south-western district of the prefecture. The main desire of the party is to run new men, well-known or not, so there is some prospect for these new men to be successful. The JAPAN National Party and the Young Men's Liberal Party are trying to influence women voters.

The Social Democrat Party is the most active in GUMMA-Ken. On 21 December this party is to hold a committee conference to make plans for the election. The Progressive Party has not yet made its plans here. One of the major reasons for this is that NAKAJIMA, Chikuhei, who controls the political circles of the prefecture, has disappeared because he has been listed as a war criminal suspect. The Liberal Party has as yet shown no activity either. Four former representatives are expected to run for the Progressive Party. Except for IGARASHI, who is ill, AMANO, Sadajiro, from the Liberal Party, SUNAGA, Konomu, ex-representative, from the Social Democratic Party, and KIMURA, Torataro, and KOGURE, Sanahiro and UBUKATA, Daikichi will run independently.

It is rumored that KOGURE, Budayū, who is to be the political boss of the prefecture because of the eclipse of NAKAJIMA, as mentioned above, has given up his intention of standing as a candidate.

As the result of the adoption of a major electorate system, traditional constituencies have been broken up, increasing the possibilities of new men's success. What is the condition of women voters in this prefecture? It is strange that some of the women who kept up with the women suffrage movement should be rather indifferent to the election. Those women say that they would elect reasonable men rather than women.

The Social Democrat Party, with its plan to establish a democratic government, is making preparations to form its branch office in YAMANASHI-Ken before any other party, and it is going to hold a grand ceremony for that purpose at the Prefectural Assembly Hall on 22 December. Also, the party is busy preparing to organize an agricultural union, and it has already finished reformation of a former agricultural union. The Progressive Party, the Liberal Party and the Communist Party have not begun any serious activity in this prefecture yet.

Those who are expected to stand are: HIRANO, Rikizo; TANABE, Shichiroku; IMAI, Shinzo; KASAI, Jūji; MATSUZAWA, Hajime; SHIMIZU, Hikoroku; OGINO, Toyohei; HIRABAYASHI, Taichi; ONO, Nagai; HIGAI, Senzo; SUZUKI, Masabumi; ŌKI, Kinjiro; YASUDA Jōsuke; NISHTAMA - Yasuo and KAWADE, Hideichi, more than 20 in all.

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