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| My Mission |
What expectations are there on me as a lawmaker? When I listen to the voices of voters as I hand out policy filters outside stations and in the streets, they often ask me, to breathe new life into Japanese politics or change Japan's political culture. It seems that many people hope that I can miraculously change the direction of Japanese politics.
When I go to speak at various locations across Japan, I am often asked talk on various topics such as saving human civilization, changing agriculture, the path towards Japan's reconstruction and prospects for organic agriculture.
Numerous people also relay their hopes and expectations of me and the Democratic Party of Japan in their comments in response to my weekly e-mail magazine. I also receive a multitude of letters and e-mails at my Diet office that contain requests from NGOs and other groups. These communications are first reviewed by my secretaries. They consult with me when required.
As you may know, my camgaigning in this area resulted in the passage in December 2006 of a law on organic farming that was proposed by a cross-party alliance of lawmakers. However, just because we have passed a law does not mean that now our work on organic garming is finished. The enactment of the bill certainly prompted national and local authorities across Japan to work steadily to promote organic farming. However, our role as Diet members is to supervise those activities and to skillfully breathe life into the law so that the system functions effectively. That is why, every month, I travel around Japan and continue my speaking activities to promote organic farming. I am happy to say that the number of agriculturalists engaging in organic farming is beginning to increase and the number of retail outlets selling organic foods to consumers, such as supermarkets, has also grown. In areas such as Tokyo and Yokohama, more and more restaurants are using organic ingredients. Organic farming has finally started to make a major contribution in Japan to food safety and to protecting the health of our land.
I think it is meaningful that I have become a member of the Diet in order to pursue these activities. Perhaps the fulfillment of this mission is the reason that I was dispatched to Japan from Finland 40 years ago.
It goes without saying that I am also active in various other fields and feel a deep commitment to my work as the Democratic Party of Japan's Next Vice-Minister of the Environment. As I reported in the previous edition of Spark Tsuru I'm currently writing a book together with my secretary Mr. Ishii on organic farming which we are planning to publish at the end of the year. We incorporated the Luomu method of agriculture and the Luomu way of life as practiced in Finland into the book.
Organic farming has the potential to revitalize Japanese agriculture as a whole. I am also convinced that the organic lifestyle has a role to play in promoting environmental restoration and the harnessing of natural energy sources.
If we, the Demoratic Party of Japan, are able to achieve a change of government at the upcoming general election, then I may be faced with a new task, which will be to fulfill my mission as a member of the ruling party. I am taking even greater care to look after my health as I commit myself to prepare for that mission.
Marutei TSURUNEN
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| Tsurunen Marutei official
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