プロレタリア文学を代表する作家・小林多喜二と反差別を歌う男性アーティストとの”不思議な縁”「日本を戦争に向かわせない」と誓い、これからも歌う理由とは #北海道 #hbc

This feature focuses on a male artist who sings anti-discrimination songs, as featured on last month's "Kyo Dokki" program. There was a strange connection between this man and Takiji Kobayashi, a writer who was a victim of the Public Security Preservation Law about 100 years ago. What does he want to convey in a society that is becoming increasingly stifling? "It's delicious! They sell it at street stalls in Sri Lanka." Standing in front of the shop are people from Africa, Myanmar, and other places. A "Refugee and Immigrant Festival" was held in Tokyo, aiming to connect people with diverse backgrounds to support these groups. Keita Ebina enjoys Indonesian food. He traveled from Sapporo, just like last year. Keita Ebina "Right now, there's a lot of hostility towards foreigners. Some people immediately say, 'Get out.' Days like this allow for interaction. I think the event itself is a form of resistance." He sings anti-discrimination and anti-war songs as the vocalist of the band "Discharming man." [Discharming man Keita Ebina ♪ Memories / Discharming man "Even After 100 Years, I Still Have My Image"] In May, he released a new album. The album cover features a painting of a fisherman with a stern expression. The painting was created by 104-year-old Ryoichi Hishitani. He was a participant in the "Life Drawing Incident," where people were arrested simply for drawing pictures just before the start of the Pacific War. As the "last living witness," he continues to recount the reality of the oppression under the Public Security Preservation Law. When Ebina gave the album to his mother, he was told a shocking fact. Keita Ebina "It was something like, 'These are paintings by a man named Ryoichi Hishitani who lives in Asahikawa. He was arrested under the Public Security Preservation Law.' My mother suddenly began to confess, 'Uncle Takeshi was also arrested for that.'" Ebina's uncle was Takeshi Morikuma. He was a cartoonist from Yubari, known for political satire and portraits of famous people. However, he was arrested on suspicion of violating the Public Security Preservation Law because he belonged to a proletarian cultural movement organization. At the age of 25, he married Fujiko Ito. Keita Ebina: "I was told, 'She was someone who was with Takiji Kobayashi.' I was like, 'What?!' 'Why didn't you tell me?'" Takiji Kobayashi, a representative writer of proletarian literature. What did Ebina discover after learning of his connection to Kobayashi, who was tortured and killed by the Special Higher Police? Takiji Kobayashi, a proletarian writer known for works such as "The Crab Cannery Ship," was arrested on suspicion of violating the Public Security Preservation Law and lost his life under brutal torture. This is the "Takiji Festival," held annually in Otaru City, where Kobayashi grew up. Jun Takahashi, Co-Representative, Otaru Takiji Festival Executive Committee "We are now living in a society where Takiji's death feels like it happened only a short time ago." In the Diet, a law was passed to establish a "National Intelligence Council" to strengthen information gathering and analysis capabilities in order to prevent cyberattacks and other threats. However, it has been pointed out that if the scope of information gathering expands, it could infringe upon citizens' privacy and freedom of expression. Professor Fujio Ogino, who studies the Public Security Preservation Law, expresses concern. Professor Emeritus Fujio Ogino, Otaru University of Commerce "The Foreign Intelligence Agency and the Anti-Espionage Law will be established over the next year. We should consider this as the 'eve of war.'" The "Military Secrets Protection Law," which had been in effect since 1899, targeted "military personnel who leaked military secrets." However, as the war progressed, the scope of secrets was expanded, and the "National Defense Security Law" was enacted, making citizens subject to penalties. Furthermore, citizens were also asked to cooperate in "counterintelligence" to prevent enemy intelligence and espionage activities. "Counterintelligence" also developed into thought control. Magazines published by the government during the war contained statements such as: "If you yearn for the comfortable life of the past and complain or cry out in despair, the enemy will incite this and seize an opportunity for ideological manipulation. There is no opportunity for spies to infiltrate a stable home front life." The government demanded that citizens be "true Japanese" who were obedient to the government, creating public opinion that mobilized the entire nation for war. Professor Emeritus Fujio Ogino of Otaru University of Commerce: "Even the current anti-espionage law, in reality, targets ordinary citizens. Moreover, history teaches us that it is related to thought control." This month, Ms. Ebina visited the grave of her uncle, Takeshi Morikuma, for the first time. Takeshi's wife, Fujiko, was the ex-wife of T...