Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
anthropologists (Nakane 1967; Doi 1986). While loyalty to or perhaps less
evaluative agreement with one
general worldview did mean a
less critical discussion with outsiders about Komeito
'
s
'
in-group
'
s
'
s dilemma, it was clearly
not simply a case of protecting or maintaining in-group relations. Tobi critically
stated:
'
All students agree they are against the Iraq War. The catch phrase of
Komeito has been one of Peace and Welfare. Then, they give up on the
most important point. Amongst those people who think
sh - ganakatta
'
[that there was nothing else Komeito could have done], they say that
Komeito is now in the government and has power to implement its own
policies, so if they say NO to the point where it will break up the coali-
tion they will lose their ability to implement policies. I am against this
position. Even if you become part of the government, what is the point if
you compromise on your most fundamental principles? Isn
'
it it better then
to become part of the opposition again? Since the formation of Soka
Gakkai, it has been an organisation against the nationalistic tendencies of
the state. Isn
'
it it strange that now it [Komeito] seems they have joined
hands with those in power?
'
(conversation with Tobi, 06/12/2003)
Tobi continued to say that Komeito had made insu
orts to stop the war,
and exclaimed that he had found wholly unacceptable a remark made on
television by the then Komeito General Secretary Fuyushiba Tetsuzo that the 3,000
people demonstrating against the war represented the whole of the opposition
in Japan. Moreover, Tobi
cient e
Within the country the
discussion was focused on Iraq a lot of the time, during the election in
November [2003] Komeito hardly ever mentioned the Iraqi issue
'
s impression was that while,
'
, which to
him raised serious doubts about Komeito. 3 However, why did this not cause
him to withdraw his support for Komeito? I had heard of young people who
had withdrawn from voting all together because of this issue, and met another
SU student who was part of a small group of young people who took an
absolute paci
'
st stance, and therefore no longer supported Komeito. Espe-
cially concerned about the dispatch of the SDF to Iraq, upholding principles
of paci
sm was most important. These young people did not speak out much
against Komeito
s position but instead withdrew their support in disagree-
ment. They did have a small group of students who got together to discuss
their position, but it was a marginal group. Why did Tobi not join them, if he
knew of their position?
Tobi and many of the other UNRC members instead chose to organise an
exhibition on the Iraq War to show their opposition. This was held during
the Soka University festival (held in November every year), and displayed in
the central building on the ground
'
floor. This exhibition became part of the
UNRC activities and a way to discuss the issues with their fellow students.
Tobi explained, however,
'
that had they shown more directly Komeito
s
 
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