- "Rethinking Free Speech in East Asia" Lecture series -
Words declaring protection for “freedom of assembly and association, as well as speech, press, and all other forms of expression” were inserted into Japan’s Constitution in the aftermath of World WarⅡ. What is the state of these freedoms in Japan today ? Are these mere words on an old document or do they have a real impact on the daily lives of the people and the care institutions of society ? We’ll search for the answer to these questions in common forms of political speech and specific cases of police surveillance and suppression of speech deemed undesirable by the authorities.