Toshio Tamogami, Former ASDF Chief of Staff

Time: 2008 Dec 01 12:00 - 14:00
Summary:
Professional Luncheon,
Toshio Tamogami,
Former Air Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff

Language:
The speech and Q& A will be in Japanese with English interpretation

Description:
Former Air Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff General Toshio Tamogami was dismissed on Oct. 31, hours after publishing a controversial essay about Japan's role in China and during WWII in which Tamogami asserted that Japan was not a wartime aggressor.

Tamogami remained in post until his retirement on Nov. 3, at age 60. Despite being asked by Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada to do so, Tamogami declared at a Nov. 12 Diet hearing that he would not return his retirement benefit of 60 million yen.

In the competition-winning essay sponsored by the APA Group, a private urban development company owned by Toshio Motoya, Tamogami referred to the government's interpretation of the Constitution, which holds that Japan possesses the right of collective self-defense, but may not exercise the right. The essay was awarded a prize of 30 million yen.

Not a man to shy away from controversy, at this event, Tamogami will present the message he truly meant to get across in his essay. He will also touch on his demotion and resignation in light of the larger issue of freedom of expression in Japan.

Sandwich: Smoked salmon, avocado & mizuna on rye
Hot plate: Baked golden chicken, yukari rice & green vegetables

Posted by Hyon Suk Chung on Mon, 2008-11-17 15:28
posted in: PAC lunch



田母神氏、特派員協会で講演　持論繰り返す

2008年12月1日13時30分

　「我が国が侵略国家だったのは濡（ぬ）れ衣（ぎぬ）」などと、先の戦争について政府見解と異なる歴史観の論文を発表した田母神（たもがみ）俊雄・前航空幕僚長(60)＝更迭＝が１日、東京都内で講演し、「周辺国から『日本は侵略国家』と言われるが、黙っているのは国益を損なう」と述べ、これまでの持論を繰り返した。

　講演は国内外の記者を集め、日本外国特派員協会で開かれた。田母神氏は「白人国家の侵略の歴史はそっちのけで、日本だけが不利益を被っているのではないか」と発言。また、「（日本は）集団的自衛権の行使が許されず、（海外で）他国の軍隊を助けることができない」と述べ、自衛隊を取り巻く法制度に対する不満も述べた。

　田母神氏が最優秀賞を受賞したホテルチェーン「アパグループ」主催の懸賞論文の表彰式は今月８日にあり、賞金300万円が贈られることになっている。審査をめぐっては同グループ代表の意図が強く働いたとされている。