So, I’m currently living in Japan and, the place I am is full of either right wing people or “don’t care about politics” people. Is there any community in Japan for lefties?
Also, have a nice day comrades. Times are difficult now, so take care of your mental health and keep fighting!
(Photo is from a random japanese house with Communist Party posters)
I am outside Tokyo now, but I did join the kyousanto while still there and I recommend it. Even if you can’t vote you can participate and organize, they are very welcoming. You don’t have to worry about some kind of associated red scare getting your visa in trouble, they are a mainstream political party with a large amount of public support. There was a red purge thanks to the US when the party was at its most revolutionary, but that was quite a while ago. It’s actually the largest communist party in a non-communist country.
Temper your expectations to some degree as the party leadership as a whole leans more socdem, they tried running to the right as a way of drumming up votes (it didn’t work really) and have even distanced themselved from other AES (they have become very anti-China sadly). They replaced a lot of references to ML ideology with “scientific socialism” and advocate non-revolutionary communism. However, there are people in local chapters with a much more revolutionary mindset and who are often the people coordinating events.
I am not yet a citizen but am in the process, renouncing US passport is obnoxious. Will be able to vote afterwards.
One of their biggest causes in recent years is ending the US-Japanese alliance and removing US military bases from the country. Both of which are things that I support and generally receive a lot of widespread popularity.
interesting, how do the 共産党 view non-white, non-japanese looking people? especially half-japanese people?
I can only speak anecdotally to my group I met with prior to leaving Tokyo, but we did have some minority members, we had a black member, born and raised here but parents weren’t, and he seemed to be treated basically the same as most anyone. Newcomers would often be surprised he spoke Japanese until they found out he was in fact Japanese. We also had a couple half-Japanese returnees but they did look very Japanese. They’re not very keen on US military/soldiers in the country, but they don’t seem to paint all USians with that brush. I myself am from the US, even if I haven’t been back there for 20 odd years.
The party’s public positions are very inclusive as far as Japanese politics go, and, while I realise it isn’t related to your topic, is the most active about feminist and LGBT issues. Which is, admittedly, a very low bar in Japanese politics. They’re against the anti-Korean racism that pervades most of our conservative parties, and are the only party that really seeks to avoid historical revisionism in regards to Japan’s own war crimes. In fact, they want that to be taught more than it already is. They tend to advocate for distancing Japan from the US and partnering more with other Asian countries. Which, until very recently, included China.
I have a lot of issues with the party still, but there’s no denying it is the best of our big political parties. Which is…again, not saying a whole lot.
Damn, thanks comrade. I live nearby Nagoya. Is there any Aichi regional groups? Thank you for your huge advice.
There is an Aichi branch, here https://www.jcp-aichi.jp/
Japanese only, but if you are a student here hopefully you are studying Japanese? You might have a harder time if you don’t speak Japanese, as obviously groups tend to cater towards locals. Not to say that people won’t speak English there, but meetings and literature will all be in Japanese.
Yes, studying japanese with goals to enter higher education. Taking N2 this december. Thank you very much!
What do you think about smaller leftist groups such as Action Faction or Hantenren?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Air_Lines_Flight_351
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Rallizes_Dénudés
there is a history of japanese communists doing cool shit, and its based as hell
time to revive it comrade
hey! just to let you know there’s a lemmygrad community regarding japan (!japan@lemmygrad.ml).
i’ve thought of reviving it, but the 共産党 nowadays feels like a revisionist party at best, succdem-y party at worst. i still don’t understand why they were against the ussr and now against most aes countries (especially the prc), gives me red flags (pun unintended)
anyway, sorry i don’t have an answer to your question; as i’ve also been searching where japanese commies gather up. but last i heard there was a board in 2ch where japanese lefties (左翼) gathered. maybe you’ll find more by searching about the sayoku (左翼).
you could also try venturing in
r/newsokuexp, but it felt more like a left-liberal board to me than socialist/commie. anti-china nonsense makes its way there every now and then.i still don’t understand why they were against the ussr and now against most aes countries (especially the prc), gives me red flags (pun unintended)
It always seemed to me to be leftover red purge sentiment, brought to you by your friendly occupier. Stalin was pretty critical of theparty at the time as being somewhat toothless in the face of thousands upon thousands of members being arrested/losing their job. The backlash against the militant wing was pretty severe, so I think that is why they ran so hard in the opposite direction.
I have no good answer for why they suddenly issued their anti-China statements. They probably thought it would help win them seats? I actually have a lot of friends who are members that are much more pro-China than the party’s official statements would lead one to believe.
Thank you so much. I think I’ll participate from the next year if I enter uni, mainly because of not having my own private residence (lots of snitching and stuff like that in the dorm I live).
i still don’t understand why they were against the ussr and now against most aes countries
Sorry if I’m speaking out of place, by context clues I assume that you’re referring to the Communist Party of Japan. Their history and reasoning is pretty well documented in their own webpage. They essentially claim that Lenin misconstrued Marxism and revolution, and claim that revolution and socialism can be made without violence. Personally, I get the impression that they were neutered by the state decades ago, and that’s all that they are now. They are essentially a deformed Kautskyite party.
it appears that the JCP is eurocom tho
I think, at least nowadays, the JCP is practically a mostly socdem party, with some ML and Maoist factions within it. Still, it’s much better than the LDP or the Democratic Party. I think they have a pretty good social and economic policy, they’re pro-Lgbt, pro-republicanism, but their foreign policy sucks. And I think they’re against nuclear energy.
There are smaller parties, like Reiwa Shinsengumi, who tend to be much more openly critical of the US and more friendly towards AES.
Where are you living? Can you join the kyosanto? I did. They still have a few old guard revolutionaries in their ranks.
How did you join? Still on a student visa so idk if that is gonna bring me some problems.
I just attended a rally, signed up for the newsletter (newspaper), put some posters up. I can’t vote here but I can give speeches at rallies…
Damn thats nice. Ill try on the next one in Aichi. Thanks comrade (人 •͈ᴗ•͈)
