Group Profile: Iomu no Kai

The LI Editorial Collective sent out a questionnaire to various Japanese anarchist groups. We shall be serializing the profiles of each group beginning with this issue of LI.

Submitted by Spartacus on January 30, 2011

[table]
[row][col]1[/col]
[col]Name of group:[/col]
[col]Iomu no Kai[/col][/row]
[row][col] [/col][col]Date of formation:[/col][col]March, 1973[/col][/row]
[row][col] [/col][col]Number of members:[/col][col]Twenty[/col][/row]
[row][col] [/col][col]Main location(s) of activity:[/col][col]Kobe and Osaka
[/col][/row]
[row][col]2[/col][col]Members' main occupations:[/col][col]Mostly laborers and students
[/col][/row]
[row][col]3[/col][col]Close relations with which other anarchist or political groups?[/col][col]Libertaire, Nagano Kyodo Shimbun, Paranka, Ribeero, CIRA-Nippon, Museifushugi-kenkyu. Also exchange pub'lns and info in meetings organized with Liberteeru.
[/col][/row]
[row][col]4[/col][col]Main activities.[/col][col]Publication of Iomu("Literature and Anarchism"); occasional lecture meetings on anarchism and related subjects.
[/col][/row]
[row][col]5[/col][col]Do you put out any publications?[/col][col]Iomu[/col][/row]
[row][col] [/col][col]Frequency of publication: [/col][col]Quarterly[/col][/row]
[row][col] [/col][col]Average number copies/issue:[/col][col]500[/col][/row]
[row][col] [/col][col]Occupational category readers:[/col][col]Various[/col][/row]
[row][col] [/col][col]Format and number of pages: [/col][col]A-5, 60 pages.[/col][/row]
[row][col] [/col][col]Main pamphlets:[/col][col]Organization Prospectus for JAF (Japan Anarchist Federation).
[/col][/row]
[row][col]6[/col][col]What are the feelings of your group regarding the proposed all-Japan anarchist federation, establishment of the "JAF"? [/col][col]Most of us feel the need for a national confederation. As an experiment in that direction, we participated in the opening, in the summer of 1974, of an interchange meeting program with Liberteeru.
[/col][/row]
[row][col]7[/col][col]What, in your opinion, are the main responsibilities and problems which need coordination by anarchists in Japan today?
[/col][col]We have not discussed this and so cannot answer at this pt.[/col][/row]
[row][col]8[/col][col]Are you aware of CIRA-Nippon? What do you think of it?
[/col][col]We cooperate with it.[/col][/row]
[row][col]9[/col][col]Are you preserving materials and documents, and, if so, are you offering them for the use of other comrades and groups?
[/col][col]March 1975 we opened our "Communal Library" in Kobe.[/col][/row]
[row][col]10[/col][col]What sort of materials and documents do you presently hold? Do you have any non-Japanese language materials? Only anarchist stuff?
[/col][col]Renmei Nyuusu. Various A organ papers. JAF pamphlets.[/col][/row]
[row][col]11[/col][col]Do you maintain contact with foreign groups? If so, which?
[/col][col]Publishers of New Echo, Ruta, etc.[/col][/row]
[row][col]12[/col][col]Please describe the ideological position, objectives, etc., of your group. [/col][col]Our first objective is publication of Iomu. Contents are varied, but largely deal with anarchist thought and its relation to literature and the larger movement. Until now we've concentrated on the translation and discussion of "old anarchist" thinkers, but this is not with the aim of dwelling on the anarchist past or an over-indulgent penchant for "history for history's sake," but in examining the relevance of past anarchist thought to today's problems.[/col][/row][/table]

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