Monday, May 3, 2010

Blow Your Nose for Peace

I attended yesterday's (2 May 2010) anti-nuke demonstration in Manhattan, at which the Japanese contingent out-numbered all others by three or four to one. Some of the Japanese were handing out small packets of facial tissue, like this:


I can't read Japanese, but I recognize the number 9 when I see it. In this context that means Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, the constitution imposed on them after WWII. Article 9 prohibits the state from waging war. Perhaps the Japanese are telling us that the U.S. Constitution needs a similar article? Here's the other side of the pack of tissue:


. . . where you found this insert:


The Hibakusha are the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

3 comments:

The Constructivist said...

The Full Metal Archivist knows the NGO that is being promoted by those tissue packets. They were operating on the 3rd floor of her grandmother's apartment in Chiba--1 office was the peace branch, the other was the labor branch (minimum wage, $10/hr.!). She knew they were related b/c there was a door that connected both offices.

The front one says something like Article 9 is a treasure of the world. If you can send us a bigger photo, she can translate the rest....

Bill Benzon said...

I just sent you an email with a higher-res scan. And a decal.

Don't you just love the interwebtubes and how they connect us all?

Bill Benzon said...

Does the Full Metal Archivist know how the Japanese came to use tissue packets as a promotional give-away? NB: There's an incident in Azumanga Daioh about it.