Opposition towards New Prenatal Diagnostic Test

Don’t Hesitate to Trouble Them (Them means able bodied caregivers or able body people around the disabled).

Opposition towards New Prenatal Diagnostic Test

Disabled people, “Let’s go out to roam around the town like a breeze.” If there is anyone who gets in the way, “do not hesitate to be a burden to him/her”. Independence does not mean “solitude.” The disabled need “people around” to be independent.

In the 1970’s, when the movement opposing compulsory special school education was active, I voluntarily came back to Tokyo from Kyoto for the care of my mother-in-law who had cancer. I indulged in the life solely assuming the expected role of “caring”, going back and forth between the hospital and home. I was locked up in my house but did not question the life of “housewife-like situation” at all.

One day, a flyer blown by the wind had dropped in front of the hospital and caught my attention. It was an ad for the movie, “Goodbye CP (cerebral palsy)”. It aroused my interest and I felt like seeing the film. It was a movie produced by Shippu Production in 1972, depicting a handicapped person, unable to walk on two feet, but getting around in the town on knees with his body twisting. It was a film exposing something “different” to the light of day in an ordinary “homogenous” town. The guy who walked on the street is Hiroshi Yokota, chairman of Kanagawa branch of Aoi-shiba-no-kai¹⁾. Director: Kazuo Hara.

I participated in the student group activities to care for the disabled after being asked to help “T” with whom I met for the first time at the Chapel Hour at Doshihsa University’s lecture program open to the public.

Before long, I began going out with the disabled as a member of the group who supported the independency of disabled by providing them with 24-hour care in shifts. It was normal in those days for the Japan Railways (public railway system prior to becoming a private enterprise) to reject disabled people to board trains and restaurants not allowing their admission. In such cases, I often got furious and had serious arguments with the customer services there. But it was always the disabled that soothed me and dismissed those incidents casually by saying, “Don’t get so upset. Take it easy.”

I once helped a disabled woman who started living alone in the local area with strong determination to “move out from home and not wanting to live in institutions.” I helped her for several years and got involved in her personal life, during which time she got married and had a child. In those days the remnants of students’ movement were still around. The students in the group worked diligently and were very gentle. They were somewhat weird but merry.

Mr. Koichi Yokotsuka, the first chairman of Aoi-shiba-no-kai, said, “Being thoughtful is not to feel reserved towards able-bodied people. We, as physically challenged with CP, must be thoughtful but at the same time be assertive. In some cases, we have to use able-bodied caregivers to the fullest extent even if we are aware it will exhaust them and possibly lead to their collapse.” (“Mother, don’t kill me.” 1975, by Suzusawa Shoten.)

He is said to love Shinran’s²⁾ words in “Tanni Sho”, “よきひとのおほせをかふりて信じるほかに別の子細なきなり (I simply believe my mentor Honen’s words, and nothing else, “Do pray with, Nenbutsu, Buddhist chants and be saved by Amitabha, a celestial Buddha”) ”　He probably wanted to  reflect relationship between Shinran and Honen^”3) over the extremely strained relationship between the handicapped and their caregivers.

I often took my elementary-school daughter at the time to this group’s activities. One day she asked me while we were taking a bath, “Why did God produce disabled people?” I answered, “People with disabilities are born in fixed ratio in the same way people with other characteristics are born.” It is natural that there are strong people, weak people, and people different from you in the world. Besides, it is not so unhappy to be disabled.” “Is that so…” my daughter answered pondering deeply over my words.

She is now in her 40’s and she had her first child at the age of 41. She gave birth to a baby who happened to come after 15 years of marriage. In spite of her age, she rejected prenatal diagnosis by amniocentesis. And when her child was a year and a half, she got a divorce. As a single mother, she lives a struggling life with her two year and a half daughter who is getting more and more assertive.

Eugenic Protection Law’s revision bill was laid on the table in 1972 and 1973, trying to eliminate “the economic status condition^3ª” to legal abortion and include “fetus status condition⁴⁾”. “However, due to the strong opposition movement by women and the disabled advocates, the bill was shelved and finally damped in 1974.”

10 years later, in 1982, a Diet member, Masakuni Murakami of the Liberal Democratic Party then (a member of Seicho-No-Ie (House of Growth), a world’s largest New Thought Group) tried to submit the revision bill to the Diet again, wishing to eliminate “economic status condition” without referring to “fetus status condition”. However, because of nationwide opposition movements and local governments’ adoption of petitions, majority of Diet members took cautious stance and judged the bill “ahead of time prior to legalization” and in March 1983, the idea of submitting the bill was given up.

Then why didn’t 1982’s bill to revise Eugenic Protection Law refer to “fetus status condition”? That is because the revised Maternal and Child Health Act had already included this “fetus status” provision. The preparation to revise the Maternal and Child Act started in 1976 and steadily and successfully they pulled of revision of this law.

It turned out that the original purpose to revise the Maternal and Child Health Act is as mentioned in the Article One of Eugenic Protection Law – “to prevent birth of inferior descendants from the eugenic point of view, and to protect life and health of mother, as well.” The revision was bolstered by the following governmental policy in late 70’s as well – “Vision of Enhancement of Family Foundation” – mainly asserted by the late Prime Minister Masayoshi Ohira. On top of that, another purpose for the revision of Maternal and Child Health Act was to divide the coalition of women and the disabled advocates by undertaking the “economic status condition” and “fetus status conditions” separately by different laws.

And now, new compulsory prenatal diagnosis is about to be legalized in Japan. “In October this year, some 10 medical facilities will start clinical tests of new prenatal diagnosis by which three chromosomal abnormalities including Down Syndrome can be identified with high precision from pregnant women’s blood. Test is aimed to offer pregnant women at age of 35 and older from their 10^th week of pregnancy. In the case of Down Syndrome, its abnormalities can be identified with 99.1% precision. Since unlike the conventional test method, having blood test in early pregnancy alone can conduct diagnosis, which creates concerns for inducing abortion, leading to the ‘selection of life.’ The backdrop of introduction of new test is rapidly increasing in cases of late marriages and late childbearing. According to Population Survey Report in 2011, average first birth age is 30 years old and older. One forth of newly born babies in 2011 bore from advanced-aged pregnant women.” (Tokyo Shin bun)

I also suspect that there is a fear of radiation concerning the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant Explosion brought about by Great Eastern Japan Earthquake. Under the circumstances, the weakest “fetus” is obliged to be the biggest sacrifice. Furthermore, those who are forced to make this heavy decision are women.

In the history of women’s liberation movements, women claimed their right for abortion as the right of self-determination, with slogan, “‛ to breed or not’ is women’s choice,” while disabled people shouted, “Mother, don’t kill me!” concerning “fetus status condition.” (I do want to say “Do not flee, men!” as enantiosis.) Why did women and the disabled have to be at loggerhead?  In the past two opposition movements towards revision of Eugenic Protection Law, no right answer was given. Current new compulsory prenatal diagnosis legalization move will give heavier burden to day-to -day life of women and the disabled in the context of integration of administrative and science/ medical organization.

On December 23, 2012, gatherings will be held in Tokyo and Osaka related to new compulsory prenatal diagnosis： “Let’s talk about new prenatal diagnosis test” in Tokyo, organized by Voice from High-Risk Women/ Soshiren “From Women’s (Our) Body” “Is it Good thing to know whether or not your fetus has ‘disabilities’ just by blood test?” in Osaka, organized by Reproduction Medicine and Discrimination (picture-card shows project), co-organized by Kyoto Parental Group of Down Syndrome Children “Triangle”.

On December 16^th in Japan, the general election of the Lower House ended. The result was as assumed. What a disaster! Just like a period of final days of Weimar Republic, I am afraid that based on concept of eugenics, Japan is steadily proceeding to the road to fascism. Whenever I think of the future of Japanese young people, I get profoundly depressed. 

Translator’s notes

1.       Aoi-shiba- no-kai: A society of people with cerebral palsy who aim to be free from restriction to remain at home and live not in an institution for the disabled but live independently in town with the help of caregivers.

2.       Shinran： (1173 –1263) was a Japanese Buddhist monk, who was born in Kyoto at the turbulent close of the Heian period and lived during the Kamakura period. Shinran was a pupil of Honen and the founder of what ultimately became the Jodo Shinshu sect in Japan. 

        (from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinran)

3.       Honen: (1133 –1212) is the religious reformer and founder of the first independent branch of Japanese Pure Land Buddism called Jōdo-shū ("The Pure Land School"). Hōnen became a monk of the Tendai sect at an early age, but grew disaffected, and sought an approach to Buddhism that anyone could follow, even during the perceived Age of Darma Decline. He taught people to recite the Buddha’s name or nembutsu to be saved. 

        (from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hōnen)

4.       “the economic status condition^ª” / 5. “fetus status condition”

The points of revision bill in 1972, and 73 were the elimination of the  “economic status” from the possible conditions of abortion, and the insertion of “fetus status” provision in this law. For women’s right advocates, elimination of “economic status” means reducing women’s self decision right to breed or not to breed. For the disabled, insertion of additional “fetus status” provision means possible increase of abortion of fetus having abnormalities in expanded lists of disorders.

Original article by Mine Yagi on the WAN website (Dec. 20, 2012)
http://wan.or.jp/reading/?p=8639

Translated and adapted by Y. Hayami.

Yae Niijima: Japan’s “Joan of Arc”

On WAN’s main website, Naho Araki is writing a series of articles on books and works that concern Yae Niijima (1845-1932), who is often called Japan’s “Joan of Arc.” This article will briefly introduce Yae’s life and present excerpts from Naho Araki’s articles on narratives about Yae’s life in the recent media.

***

The name of Yae Niijima can be heard frequently in Japan these days because the NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) history drama series, a production that is famed in the country, will feature her in its new series “Yae no Sakura” starting early 2013.

Until the announcement of this new drama series, her husband Joe Niijima (a.k.a. Joseph Hardy Neesima[1]; 1843-1890) was the better known Niijima, hands down. Joe is founder of the Doshisha schools in Kyoto and among the most well-known educators of the Meiji era (1868-1912). His name appears even in high school Japanese history textbooks.

Yae grew up as a daughter of a samurai of the Aizu clan in what is Fukushima prefecture today. In one of her most famous episodes, Yae disguised herself as a man and took up gun and sword to fight in the Boshin War (1868-1869) to protect her clan.

Yae was divorced when she met Joe. Joe is said to have been attracted to Yae because she was not the traditional obedient wife. Their wedding in 1876 was Japan’s first Christian-style wedding between Japanese citizens. (Joe had been baptized in the United States and Yae also converted to Christianity after meeting Joe.) Joe called Yae a "handsome woman", in reference to her life in pursuit of equality between men and women in an era when ideas based on traditional feudalism still lingered. As husband and wife, they had a close-knit marriage until Joe’s death in 1890.

After Joe’s death, Yae worked as a volunteer nurse for the Red Cross in the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese wars. For this reason, she is sometimes called the Nightingale of Japan, as well.

On the main WAN website, Naho Araki discusses the attention Yae is gaining these days in Japan in the context of feminism. She argues:

When you look at Yae’s eventful and unique life, I think there are elements that are acceptable, not acceptable, and open for interpretation in the context of feminism.

Araki is concerned that the new drama series might glamorize the fact that she didn’t shun traditional roles imposed on women:

 The “handsome woman”, fighting alongside men and navigating life wisely, was also aware of “the roles of the woman” and her position of a daughter in a samurai family. (…) I am concerned that (the drama series) might highlight the fact that her pursuit to improve women’s status was in addition to duly fulfilling the traditional female responsibilities.

Araki also points out that Yae was a proud member of the Aizu clan. She believed in class society and accepted war:

If they focus on these characteristics as “good conservative traits,”  it would not be very desirable from the point of view of feminism.

We can see contradicting ideological aspects in Yae’s life: she believed in traditional feudalism, equality between men and women, Christianity, and volunteerism for the Red Cross. Araki states:
(For the new drama series and books about her) there is probably no getting around her criticism of Japanese society in her quest to improve women’s status, as she went about her married life with Joe and her work as a nurse for the Red Cross. I think it will be interesting to see the degree of sincerity with which the new drama series and public opinion will judge these aspects of her life.

Adapted by Naoko Hirose

Original article

---

[1] He has this English name because he lived and was baptized in the United States.

Book review: You should think through all by yourself!−−"Evil Ideas for Survival" by Rieko Saibara

"Evil Ideas for Survival"
Written by Rieko Saibara
(Bungei Shunju, 20/07/2012)


The author Rieko Saibara answers various questions in this book. For instance, a writer, Yukito Ayatsuji asks Saibara, who remains creative and energetic, how she can keep such tremendous energy for creative works. Her answer is quite simple: "I'm in debt.(JPY140 million)". Hmm, that makes sense. And to the company employee who gets irritated by an useless subordinate, says Saibara, "If you see him/her as a screw, you won't get mad." It's a word of wisdom.

We all are attracted by words from writers such as Rieko Saibara and Usagi Nakamura who base their writings on their own unique challenges. Their words are richer in texture and more convincing than the hard-minded words of scholars and critics. That is probably because their words are expressed through their minds at the risk of their career. But, you see, the reason what Saibara says is so amusing is because she thinks through all by herself. Although Saibara's words make sense, it doesn't seem right to seek my answers among them. What I learned from this book is this: " You should think through all by yourself." That's it.

Original article written by IIta (17/12/2012) (http://wan.or.jp/book/?p=4412)
Translated by T. Muramatsu

Buy this book (jump to a Japanese page)

Book review: This is more of an academic "study"−− "Person in Need" by Sarasa Ono

 "Person in Need"
Written by Sarasa Ono
(Poplar Publishing, 16/06/2011)


A girl struggling with the incurable disease, which attacked her all of a sudden.
This girl is really something!
As a future anthropologist, she describes her serious disease conditions, treatments and even pains using her recursive keen insights. It is such a powerful writing that you can read in one sitting.

If you use information technology skills, you might be able to get any information you want on treatments or how to apply for social-security plans.  However, you are definitely still in need of real human friends and helpers. And for the sake of a "survival" strategy, you have to take a certain distance from your family for nursing care.

Although this is written in a casual style, you will learn serious issues confronting those who suffer from incurable diseases. This could be more of an academic "study" with full of originality and persuasiveness.

This book has already been introduced here. (http://wan.or.jp/book/?p=4751)

Original article written by momiji(07/10/2012) (http://wan.or.jp/book/?p=4488)
Translated by T. Muramatsu

Buy this book (jump to a Japanese page)

Nuclear Free Now!: Fukushima Action Project

The English website for Nuclear Free Now! has now uploaded detailed information on Fukushima Action Project, which takes place from December 14 to 16 in Koriyama City, Fukushima. A series of events are planned by local citizens in reaction to the announcement that the Japanese government and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will hold Fukushima Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety on December 15-17. Please visit Nuclear Free Now! or read the Project Statement to learn more about Fukushima Action Project's background, goals and demands as well as its events.

Posted by Aya Kitamura

Nuclear Free Now!: Women Joining Hands

On Saturday, December 15, Women's Action Network and Greenpeace Japan will host a panel session, "From the Day-to-day Confusion to Politics: Women Joining Hands" as a part of the two-day event, Nuclear Free Now!. The panelists include Ueno Chizuko (Women's Action Network), Miranda Schreurs (German Advisory Council on the Environment), Matsuura Masayo (Association of Women Afraid of Nuclear Power) and more. Please see the English program here for the details.

Posted by Aya Kitamura

Japanese Army’s Sexual Violence Panel Exhibition in China -- Brief Report on Prof.Qu Yajun’s Lectures in Japan: Part 2

Following Part 1, here is the second report on the lecture by Professor Qu Yajun from Shaanxi Normal University, Xian, China, given at Nihon University on Sunday, November 11, 2012, entitled “Women, Peace, and a Nation’s Self-Examination.”

AT the beginning of this lecture, Prof. Qu spoke about how she was impressed by the activities of a Japanese citizens group voluntarily collecting materials and oral testimony about the Japanese army’s wartime sexual violence and its support for Chinese victims of that violence in lawsuits against the government of Japan for postwar compensation.

In addition, the Japanese group known as the Japanese Army’s Sexual Violence Panel Exhibition committee had organized a series of panel exhibitions in Japan to reveal the facts of wartime sexual violence and their own activities. Later they brought the exhibit to China and Prof. Qu and her colleagues attended the panel exhibition held in Shanxi in 2010 thanks to  collaboration between the Japanese committee and local Chinese women. She instantly decided to invite the the exhibition to be held at her university, and in the following year it was actually held at the university attached Women Culture Museum in Shaanxi.

In her lecture, Prof. Qu quoted and analyzed various responses from Chinese visitors to the exhibition, including her bosses and nearly one thousand students. She also commented on the anti-Japan sentiment prevailing among the Chinese youth and their violent reactions against the Japanese government’s decision to purchase the Senkaku (Diaoyu) islands, and suggested how they could be interpreted in the current social context.

I would also like to insert my own comments inspired by her lectures, quoted words and the speeches of the other speakers and the audience.

 (1) Responses from Chinese Visitors to the Panel Exhibition on Japanese Army’s Wartime Sexual Violence Held at Shaanxi University

According to the committee members of the panel exhibition, there were initial concerns that the exhibition might only fuel Chinese hatred against Japan, devastating the bilateral relationship. But it seems to me that the exhibitions received far more diverse responses than they had expected. The following comments of Chinese visitors to the exhibition in 2011, which Prof.Qu quoted in her lecture, evidently showed that at least the one held in Shaanxi accomplished much more than just sharing the historical facts.

Each statement is that of one Chinese visitor:

 

l   “I take it to heart that this exhibition was organized out of sincere wishes for women not to be victimized by such violence even in case of war, without the intention of stirring up hostility against Japan. After all, if war happens again, women would be assaulted. That’s the reality. Now I know the problems reflected in this exhibition do not exist between one country and another, but between war and women….”

l  “Having seen these abundant materials, I have never been so deeply moved as I have by today’s exhibition. These eyes, tears, memories full of scars and traumas I saw in the panels, made me closely touch the war history of women.”

l  “I despise those people who laughed at and looked down upon the women who were raped during the war long after they survived it. I should hate them even more than Japanese soldiers.”

l  “What impressed me most deeply is the fact that all materials of this panel exhibition were provided from Japan. Those Japanese people bravely stood up to assume the responsibility of their predecessors, made continuous efforts to seek historical truth, and supported our grandmothers in their lawsuit calling for the Japanese government’s apologies to help them regain their dignity. Those actions by highly conscious Japanese friends moved me so deeply. Now I know that to remember is to maintain peace and to express our wish that war shall never be repeated, not to express our resentment.”

l  “I do not like nor dislike Japan. However, I think that the Japanese have something for us to learn from. History should not be used as an excuse for hostility….”

l  “I want more teachers and students to visit this site and see this exhibition. This is not something you should receive once in a life like baptism, but is our history which we should repeatedly learn from and reflect upon.”

I remember, there had been a question of whether or not feminism could be transnational, a question raised and argued by Eastern Asian feminists since the UN Women conference in Beijing in 1995. It seems to me that the above words plainly show that feminism could overcome national boundaries. In this positive and symbolic achievement, feminism and transnationalism are two key factors as, in my view, the meaning of “transborder” is made most clear on when we are named Japanese by others  and they are expected to behave like Chinese in China, and yet we and they can act upon shared values and theoretical framework.

(2) Significance of Anti-Japan Sentiment and Actions in Present China

Prof. Qu Yajun’s lectures were given when there was no sign of improvement yet in the China-Japan relationship as the new administration of China was yet to be determined, even though anti-Japan riots across China had been suppressed. Therefore it was extremely significant that she frankly mentioned about the Chinese anti-Japan sentiment to a Japanese audience toward the end of her second-day lecture.

Prof. Qu first admitted that there has been hostility against Japan in Chinese society, uniquely among the youth, and that is attributable to the memory of the war eighty years ago. I accept it as a premise for our mutual understanding of each other’s history.

But there was much more to it, she said, and so she continued and pointed out other inner factors driving the youth to violent action. Life is so hard for many of them, with the overwhelming pressure of competition at school and work, soaring land prices and rents. They want to blame somebody, but who would allow them to collectively blame anybody for anything? Finally, they saw Japan as the only safe target to attack.

Prof. Qu was concerned about Chinese people’s lack of understanding about Japan’s reality and diversity. She encourages the Chinese to recognize Japan as composed of those who are consistently reflecting upon their past history, and those who know very little about the past war and strongly desire world peace and friendship with China, as well as those who remain hostile to China, wishful to glorify war, and eager to repaint the undesirable picture of the past. They should know Japanese people are allowed to have different opinions, she said.

Prof. Qu also expressed her concerns about the frequent incidences of irrational reactions in various crashes between the two nations, emphasizing the danger of the whole nation fanatically applauding one thing (Olympics, for instance) or using the same vocabulary to blame one thing (Japan, for instance) for something or other. She even referred to a certain recent survey which revealed that more than half of the college students in China actually feel “so-so” about Japan.

One young Japanese man in the audience honestly admitted that he felt relieved by her words, which was quite understandable as we were exposed to repeated images of the infuriated Chinese youth abusing Japan on TV. I consider it necessary to overcome an obsession and nervousness toward China based on relative and broader perspective.

Needless to say, it does not mean that we could rely on such relativism to evade our historical understanding and post-war responsibilities in dealing with the war victims in China.

In that sense, it is encouraging to know that this year’s dispute has made decent citizens of Japan, especially young and naïve people, more aware of the historical and territorial issues than ever. I believe that they are becoming more wary of right wing extremists’ anachronistic attempts to rewind Japan’s history back to the age of nationalistic and anti-feministic fervor rather than attracted by their loud voices calling for “restoration” of Japan or “amendment” of the constitution.


Reported by FUKUOKA A. A

Japanese version was also written by FUKUOKA A. A