In Tokyo, there were three major May Day rallies; right-wing Rengo rally in Yoyogi park, Zenroren rally in Kameido led by JCP (Japan Communist Party), and Zenrokyo rally in Hibiya in the mornig, May 1.
At present the unemployment rate could be 8 % according to U.S. standard. As unemployment has been greatly increasing and real wages has been decresing, prolonged recession brings workers various hardship. Workers participating in May Day rallies, therefore, showed fighting spirits against Hashimoto government.
Among the May Day rallies, more militant labor unions joined Hibiya May Day rally. Tens of thousands of militant Japanese workers demonstrated downtown with foreign workers such as JVP; People's Liberation Front (Japan Committee).
The Hibiya May Day's main slogans were to defend worker's life and rights, to maintain peace and democracy, to crush an undesirable amendment to the Labor Standards Law. The rally emphasized that it is important for workers to struggle against new guideline of a war manual between U.S.A. and Japan in solidarity with Okinawa people.
Members of Steering Committee of the Rally for Celebrating 150th Anniversary of Manifest of the Communist Party, including CECOP, JVP, and IEG, handed out leaflets to workers at the rally.
The leaflet appeals:
Workers of All Lands, UNITE!
Pave the Way to Coopration among Communists & Leftists!
Join the Communist Manifesto Rally on June 21!