Philosopher and peace campaigner Shunsuke Tsurumi died of pneumonia at the age of 93 in Kyoto on July 20.
After graduating with a degree in philosophy from Harvard University inthe US in 1942, Tsurumi became a professor at the Kyoto University.
In1965, he established a citizens’ movement with influential writersMakoto Oda, Takeshi Kaiko and others called the Japan “Peace forVietnam!” Committee, known by its Japanese acronym Beheiren, to seekpeace in Vietnam where US forces were waging war against Vietnamesepeople.
Beheiren continually staged a wide range of activitiesto protest the war in Vietnam. On June 15, 1969, it organised thebiggest anti-war rally in Tokyo, drawing over 70,000 to the streets.
Themovement expanded and eventually had 350 groups across Japan.Beheiren’s operation had a huge influence on later civil movements andbecame a model for anti-war movements.
Shunsuke Tsurumi leftthe academic life in 1970, resigning as professor from DoshishaUniversity, and devoted himself to writing about philosophy and othersubjects.-VNA