Zenshinsha

Zenshinsha (前進社) is a Japanese publishing house based in Matsue, Edogawa, Tokyo. It is not a conventional commercial publisher: it is the publishing division and open base of the Revolutionary Communist League National Committee (革命的共産主義者同盟全国委員会), commonly known as the Chūkaku-ha Central Faction (中核派中央派), a Japanese New Left organization. It operates as an unincorporated voluntary association (任意団体) without separate legal personality, and its publications function as the organs of the faction. The publisher's best-known periodical is the weekly newspaper Zenshin (前進), whose first issue appeared on 20 September 1959; the first twenty issues were issued directly by the Revolutionary Communist League National Committee before Zenshinsha took over. Other regular publications include the monthly International Labour Movement (国際労働運動), which had earlier titles such as Armed (武装) and Commune (コミューン), and the quarterly Communist (共産主義者), nicknamed "Isto" from the English word Communist. Zenshinsha also publishes book collections, including the ten-volume Selected Works of Shimizu Takeo, chairman of the Chūkaku-ha, and the seven-volume Selected Writings of Honda Nobuyoshi, a founder of the faction. Zenshinsha maintains a national structure with branch offices across Japan, including in Kanagawa, Tōhoku (Sendai), Kansai (Osaka), Chūgoku (Hiroshima), Kyūshū (Fukuoka), and a bureau in Okinawa. Its Tokyo head office is in Edogawa Ward, surrounded by high walls with its front entrance sealed by an iron plate; according to the Public Security Intelligence Agency, about 80 activists live at the Tokyo headquarters. Because of its role as a Chūkaku-ha base, it is subject to several police searches per year by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Public Security Bureau, and surveillance vehicles are reportedly stationed nearby around the clock. Historically, Zenshinsha was located in Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima Ward, and in September 1974 moved to Chihaya, Toshima Ward, where its five-story reinforced-concrete building earned the nickname "Chihaya Castle" after the fortress of Kusunoki Masashige. The Chihaya site was sold to raise operating funds, and in October 1994 the publisher relocated to the cheaper land of Matsue, Edogawa Ward. The hostile Kakumaru-ha faction reportedly derides it as the "Bukuro faction" because of its earlier Ikebukuro location. Zenshinsha has also appeared at Comiket under the dōjin circle name "Midorukoa," a literal English translation of "Chūkaku" (Middle Core).

Zenshinsha is the publishing division and open base of the Revolutionary Communist League National Committee, commonly called the Chūkaku-ha Central Faction, a Japanese New Left organization. Its origins are tied to the faction's media operations: the weekly newspaper Zenshin, the faction's central organ, was first published on 20 September 1959, with the first twenty issues issued directly by the Revolutionary Communist League National Committee before Zenshinsha became the publisher. Over the following decades Zenshinsha developed a stable of periodicals and book publications, including the monthly International Labour Movement (which had earlier titles Armed and Commune) and the quarterly Communist, known by the nickname "Isto." It also published collected works of faction leaders, such as the ten-volume Selected Works of Shimizu Takeo and the seven-volume Selected Writings of Honda Nobuyoshi. The publisher's physical headquarters moved several times. It was originally located in Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima Ward, Tokyo. On 3 September 1974 it relocated to 1-16-15 Chihaya, Toshima Ward. The five-story reinforced-concrete building there was nicknamed "Chihaya Castle" after the fortress of the medieval figure Kusunoki Masashige, and the earlier Ikebukuro location led the rival Kakumaru-ha faction to deride Zenshinsha as the "Bukuro faction." The Chihaya property was eventually sold to raise operating funds, and in October 1994 Zenshinsha moved to Matsue, Edogawa Ward, where land was relatively cheaper. The current head office stands near the Keiyō Intersection bus stop of the Toei bus network, enclosed by high walls with its front entrance sealed by an iron plate. As a Chūkaku-ha base, Zenshinsha has been subject to repeated searches by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Public Security Bureau, several times a year; during such searches police have reportedly used engine cutters to break through the iron plate at the entrance. According to the Public Security Intelligence Agency, about 80 activists live at the Tokyo headquarters, and surveillance officers in camping cars are said to be stationed in nearby parking lots around the clock. The publisher maintains a national network of branch offices: Kanagawa (Yokohama), Tōhoku (Sendai), Kansai (Osaka), Chūgoku (Hiroshima), Kyūshū (Fukuoka), and an Okinawa bureau in Naha. The Kansai branch was formerly in Higashi-Mikuni, Osaka, but after the November 2007 split of the faction's Kansai regional committee (the Kansai faction, later the Revolutionary Communist League Reconstruction Council), that office became the open office of the Reconstruction Council. Zenshinsha has also participated in Comic Market under the dōjin circle name "Midorukoa," a literal English rendering of "Chūkaku" (Middle Core).

• First issue of the weekly newspaper Zenshin published; the first twenty issues were issued directly by the Revolutionary Communist League National Committee.

• Zenshinsha relocated to 1-16-15 Chihaya, Toshima Ward, Tokyo.

• Zenshinsha relocated to Matsue, Edogawa Ward, Tokyo, after the Chihaya site was sold.

• Following the split of the faction's Kansai regional committee, the former Kansai branch office in Higashi-Mikuni, Osaka became the open office of the Reconstruction Council.

Publishing arm and public base of the Chūkaku-ha Central Faction of the Japanese New Left; an unincorporated voluntary association rather than a commercial publisher.

• Zenshin (前進)

  Weekly newspaper, the central organ of the Chūkaku-ha Central Faction; first issue 20 September 1959.

• International Labour Movement (国際労働運動)

  Monthly magazine; previously titled Armed (武装) and Commune (コミューン).

• Communist (共産主義者)

  Quarterly magazine, nicknamed "Isto" from the English word Communist.

• Selected Works of Shimizu Takeo (清水丈夫選集)

  Ten-volume collection of writings by Shimizu Takeo, chairman of the Chūkaku-ha.

• Selected Writings of Honda Nobuyoshi (本多延嘉著作選)

  Seven-volume collection of writings by Honda Nobuyoshi, a founder of the Chūkaku-ha.

1. 1前進社 - Wikipedia (Japanese)ja.wikipedia.org
2. 2Zenshinsha - Wikidatawikidata.org