Election day for the 19th House of Councilors Election is approaching and the campaign has reached its final stage. President Washio's "Want to Fix Japan Brigade" has been campaigning on the street s everyday. On July 20, RENGO and the RENGO Tokyo Women's Committee held "Let's Change Politics with Woman Power-Women's Activity Day" in Tokyo. RENGO Vice President Morooka, the Democratic Party of Japan President's wife Sachi Hatoyama, and the Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General's wife Nobuko Kan all rushed to the campaign.

Photo: Sachi Hatoyama (r) and Nobuko Kan (l) stroll in Ginza.

The campaign kicked off in 30+ degree centigrade heat at Koganji Temple in Sugamo, Tokyo which was crowded with many elderly people and famous for its Guardian Deity Togenuki Zizo. Campaign attendees paraded with banners saying "Let's Change Politics with Woman Power" appealing to afternoon passersby in Ginza and Shibuya in the evening that "women hold the key to the future of our declining birthrate and aging society." The campaign was exuberantly carried out on the street mixing saxophone music.
In her street speech RENGO Vice President Morooka stated, "in order to live securely in the 21st century, it is important firstly to have policies that will solve the problems of employment and those facing working women." She continued by appealing for the "establishment of high-quality daycare centers where mothers can leave their children without worry." She continued saying, "we want to build a well-balanced society in the 21st century where everyone can realize affluence in peace regardless of their sex or whether they have disabilities."
Continuing, Sachi Hatoyama emphasized that "what the Koizumi Cabinet is calling for is structural reform that is tough on the weak and loveless. Real reform must be caring of the weak, protective of them, and have love in it." She said that "everyone has apprehensions toward growing old. We want to eliminate the apprehensions."
Nobuko Kan pointed out that "if [Koizumi's] structural reform were carried out, enormous numbers of people will lose their jobs. The Koizumi administration are not taking any measures to create a safety-net for any such eventuality." Advocating the fortification of a safety-net system Kan added that the current administration "should extend the employment insurance provision period by about three years."

Photo: Brighten society with women's courage and power!
(RENGO VP Morooka front row center, Sugamo.)
Meanwhile, after joining the Women's Activity Day Campaign, Assistant RENGO General Secretary Hideyuki Suzuki and the "Want to Fix Japan Brigade" of approximately 30 people rushed to Gunma prefecture on July 21-22 to conduct PR street campaigns with RENGO Gunma. The group joined Democratic Party of Japan's Special Representative Tsutomu Hata on his speaking tour in Isezaki-city where the Tanabata Festival was taking place. In his speech, Hata called on the audience to think rationally before they vote in the upcoming election because "if many Liberal Democratic Party candidates are elected the reforms that Japan needs to carry out will come to a complete standstill."