Proletarian currents in Japan
Sep 5 2006 14:49
I've scanned two out of print books:
Taihei no tanima no sei to shi (The Life and Death of the Tranquil Valley)
and
Don't be Silent! Don't Die like a Dog! (a collection of Hashimoto Shuuji's writings)
Both are, of course, in Japanese. However the first file is a collection of photos and may give some insight into the situation especially around Osaka in the 1970s. I'll write more about what these two books mean tomorrow when I wake up from the beers I've just downed. Libcom mods, could you up these into the library so people don't have to sign up at yousendit?
http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=CF1C19BB5AB20308
snx
Sep 7 2006 12:49
#2
The Hashimoto Shuuji collection is important historically. Hashimoto was a worker that drifted between Sanya and Kamagasaki, Japan's two largest proletarian ghettoes. He became involved in workers' organization and confrontations with the Yakuza, the church, local labor bosses, the police and so on.
To give an idea of the content of the book, here's a few of the section titles: "Transform your repressed situation into a weapon!" "We see our universal fates as workers in Korean laborers and Chinese laborers", "Transform the rear-guard of world counter-revolution into the vanguard of world revolutionary war", "Riot is the self-expression of the lower class worker". Most of what is reproduced are leaflets and agit prop that he and others had written during the heaviest years in the mid-70s. There is an unfortunate influence of leftist/new-left thought on his work, such as 'self-criticism', appeals to 'the people' and so on, but hashimoto's sincere desire for thorough revolution is apparent.
The other book scanned is mainly a photo collection of the situation in Kamagasaki in the 1970s as I mentioned. Around page 30 you can see photos from the periods of occupation in the 1970s which were organized sometimes in partnership with the new left. The park occupation on page 35 was the first park occupation in all of Japan, and its influence lasts until today.
John, thanks for putting this in the library, make sure to dl it before it expires.
:red:
Sep 9 2006 09:35
#3
The ICC did a short, two-part piece on the history of the Workers Movement in Japan.
Sep 9 2006 14:21
#4
I've downloaded it - 50MB yeah? but can't see what file format or anything it's on, or how to view it - any ideas?
Sep 10 2006 03:53
#5
Should be a zip file, unzip that for PDFs?
Oct 8 2006 08:14
#6
These texts are now in the Libcom library.
http://libcom.org/other-languages/the-depression-and-the-liberation-of-kamagasaki-1973-1978
http://libcom.org/other-languages/dont-die-silent-like-a-dog
Oct 8 2006 08:48
#7
sorry it took so long sphinx!
Oct 9 2006 05:12
#8
No problem!
Oct 14 2006 13:37
#9
Just found the kamagasaki riot footage on youtube:
http://libcom.org/library/1990-kamagasaki-nishi-nari-riot-video
hey sphinx, sounds great. we will try to do later, meanwhile look forward to seeing what you write.
edit - nb we have a new tag for japan-related content:
http://libcom.org/tags/japan