Beate Gordon: Participating in the Birth of the Japanese Constitution November 8, 2007

As Japan’s Postwar Constitution passes its sixtieth anniversary, it remains a flashpoint of controversy in Japan. Some credit it with serving as the basis of peace and democracy in postwar Japan, while others view it as an outdated legacy of the Occupation of Japan. Beate Gordon, a revered civil rights activist, leader in postwar cultural exchange between Japan and the United States, and author, participated in drafting this Constitution and played a central role in including a constitutional guarantee of equal rights for women. Sixty years later, Gordon reflects on the process of writing a constitution for an occupied state as well as the long term effects of the Constitution on Japan and Japanese women.

Moderated by Helen Hardacre, Reischauer Institute Professor of Japanese Religions and Society and founder of the Constitutional Revision Research Project at Harvard University.

Reception to follow.

Tickets: $10/$8 members, $5 seniors and students.

Official Website: http://www.japansociety.org/events/event_detail.cfm?id_event=1767229593&id_performance=1587504232