List of Propositions for Intercollegiate English Debate Contests/Tournaments in Japan
compiled by Narahiko Inoue (inouen@rc.kyushu-u.ac.jp)
- This is a partial list of propositions used in English debate contests for college students in Japan. The list is compiled from pamphlets of the contests, most of which list the propositions of the past contests. It is also supplanted by the lists of propositions in Matsumoto (1982) and Nakamura (1982). Given in the parentheses at the end of a proposition is the name of the contest whose pamphlet on which the proposition appeared. This does not mean that the particular topic was used only by that named contest. In cases where the proposition is taken from pamphlets, I tried to preserve the original punctuation and capitalization. This does not necessarily mean that the proposition appeared as it is in all the contests of that season; different contests and even different rounds may have used different punctuation and capitalization intentionally or unintentionally.
- IEC (International Education Center), which has been hosting intercollegiate tournaments since 1950, is not a student-run organization. It is a privately funded organization offering various services including language programs and speech contests.
- Since 1986, the Japan Debate Conference (renamed Japan Debate Association in 1992) has been announcing "recommended" propositions, which have been used by almost all the tournaments. Those propositions are indicated as (JDC) or (JDA) below.
- 1950 Fall
- Resolved: that Japan should rearm in order to defend itself against invasion. (IEC)
1951 Fall
- Resolved: that the Social Democratic Party should abandon its three peace principles. (IEC)
1952 Fall
- Resolved: that Japan should rearm in order to defend itself. (IEC)
1953 Fall
- Resolved: that the Constitution of Japan should be revised to permit an open establishment of a self defence force. ( IEC)
1954 Fall
- Resolved: that Japan should recognize the Government of Communist China and exchange diplomatic representatives. ( IEC)
1955 Fall
- Resolved: that Japan should maintain deflationary policy. (IEC)
1956 Fall
- Resolved: that Japan-Russian relations should not be normalized unless Russia recognizes the fact that it has no sovereignty in the Kurile Islands and agrees to withdraw its occupation forces from the same area. (IEC)
1957 Fall
- Resolved: that the National Council of Public Corporations and Government Enterprise Workers' Union (Korokyo) should be given the right to strike. (IEC)
1958 Fall
- Resolved: that the teachers efficiency rating system should be enforced in public schools. (IEC)
1959 Fall
- Resolved: that the House of Councilors should be abolished. (IEC)
1960 Fall
- Resolved: that political strikes by labor unions should be outlawed. (IEC)
1961 Fall
- Resolved: that a 40-hour week should be legally adopted in Japan. (IEC)
1962 Fall
- Resolved: that the House of Councilors should be abolished. (IEC)
1963 Spring
- Resolved; that legalized abortion should be abolished. (TIDL)
1963 Fall
- Resolved: that the Staple Food Control Law should be abolished. (IEC)
1964 Spring
- Resolved; that the Prime Minister of Japan should be elected by a direct vote of the people. (TIDL)
1964 Fall
- Resolved: that Prime Minister of Japan should be elected by the people. (IEC)
1965 Spring
- Resolved; that Communist China should be admitted to the United Nations. (TIDL)
1965 Fall
- Resolved: that the Government should float the long-term public bonds in Japan.
1966 Spring
- Resolved; that United Nations should be reorganized into World Federation. (TIDL)
1966 Fall
- Resolved: that Japan should extend diplomatic recognition to the Communist Government of China. (Sophia)
- Resolved: that the single-member constituency plus proportional representation system submitted by the Coordination Committee of the Fourth Election System Council on May 9, 1966 should be adopted. (IEC)
1967 Spring
- Resolved; that the Self Defence Forces should be reorganized into National Armed Forces. (TIDL)
1967 Fall
- Resolved: that a Pacific Economic Community should be established among Japan, the U.S.A., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. (Sophia)
- Resolved: that one hundred yen should be redenominated to one new yen. (IEC)
1968 Spring
- Resolved; that Okinawa should be restored to Japan with military bases under the same conditions now existing in Japan proper. (TIDL)
1968 Fall
- Resolved: that the U.S. should withdraw all direct and indirect economic and military assistance from Far East. (Sophia; the tournament was not held due to the students movement on campus)
- Resolved: that large corporations in Japan should merge. (IEC)
1969 Spring
- Resolved; that Textbook Authorization System should be abolished. (TIDL)
1969 Fall
- Resolved: that a new military alliance should be established among the A.S.P.A.C. members. (Sophia)
- Resolved: that all gambling sponsored by national and local governments should be abolished. (IEC)
1970 Spring
- Resolved; that Japan should establish diplomatic relations with Communist China. (TIDL)
1970 Fall
- Resolved: that all bilateral economic assistance to the developing countries should be channeled through the U.N. (Sophia)
- Resolved: that the Juvenile Law should be made applicable to those under 18 years of age. (IEC)
1971 Spring
- Resolved; that the Yen should be revaluated upward. (TIDL)
1971 Fall
- Resolved: that the use of natural resources found in international waters should be channeled through the United Nations. (Sophia)
1972 Spring
- Resolved; that The Veto Power in the Security Council of United Nations should be abolished. (TIDL)
1972 Fall
- Resolved: that Japan should become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.(Sophia)
1973 Spring
- Resolved; that the Japan-United States Security Treaty should be abolished. (TIDL)
1973 Fall
- Resolved: that an oil federation should be established among the consumer nations. (Sophia)
- Resolved: That the Nuclear Weapons Tests should be totally prohibited. (All-Japan)
1974 Spring
- Resolved; that Japan should adopt a program of compulsory wage and price controls. (TIDL)
1974 Fall
- Resolved: that the U.S. should withdraw all direct and indirect military assistance from East Asia. (Sophia)
- Resolved: That the right to strike should be legally guaranteed to the workers in the Japanese National Railways. (All-Japan)
1975 Spring
- Resolved; that a Food Reserve System should be established by the United Nations. (TIDL)
1975 Fall
- Resolved: that transnational corporations should not control the primary industries of developing countries. (Sophia)
- Resolved: That Japan should possess nuclear weapons. (All-Japan)
1976 Spring
- Resolved; that Japan should discontinue economic assistance to the Republic of Korea. (TIDL)
1976 Fall
- Resolved: that Japan should extend diplomatic recognition to North Korea. (Sophia)
- Resolved: That the Ministry of Education's Textbook Authorization System should be abolished. (All-Japan)
- Resolved: that the Worker of J.N.R should be given the Right to strike. (Nanakuma)
1977 Spring
- Resolved; that Japan should establish complementary financial facilities. (TIDL)
1977 Fall
- Resolved: that Japan should ratify a treaty of peace and amity with the People's Republic of China. (Sophia)
- Resolved: that Japan should ratify a treaty of peace and friendship with the People's Republic of China. (All-Japan)
1978 Spring
- Resolved; that Japan should remove restrictions on imported commodities. (TIDL/KIDL)
1978 Fall
- Resolved: that the building of atomic power plants in Japan should be prohibited. (Sophia)
- Resolved: that Japan should abolish atomic power plants. (All-Japan)
1979 Spring
- Resolved; that Japan should adopt a comprehensive program to reinforce national defence. (TIDL/KIDL)
1979 Fall
- Resolved: that Japan should adopt a program to substantially increase its imports of manufactured and semi-manufactured products from Southeast Asia. (Sophia)
- Resolved: That Members of the House of Representatives should be elected through a proportional representation system. (All-Japan)
1980 Spring
- Resolved; that the Diet should adopt legislation to significantly reform the structure of National taxes. (TIDL/KIDL)
- 1980 Fall Resolved: that the Japanese government should institute a program to significantly change its food policies. (Sophia)
- Resolved: That the Government of Japan should significantly reform its policy on grain and bean products. (All-Japan)
1981 Spring
- Resolved; that the National Government should significantly reform its welfare policies for the aged. (TIDL/KIDL)
1981 Fall
- Resolved: that the Diet should adopt a program to significantly change its policies on environmental pollution. (Sophia/All-Japan)
1982 Spring
- Resolved; that Japan should take measures to mitigate trade friction with its trading partners. (TIDL/KIDL)
1982 Fall
- Resolved: that Japan should significantly alter its policies of economic cooperation with developing countries. (Sophia)
1983 Spring
- Resolved; that the National Government should significantly change its policies on utilization of land. (TIDL/KIDL)
1983 Fall
- Resolved: that the national government should significantly strengthen the regulations on consumer goods and services. (Sophia)
1984 Spring
- Resolved; that the National Government should significantly strengthen policies to protect the Japanese people from foreign nations. (TIDL/KIDL)
1984 Fall
- Resolved: That the Diet should change its labor laws on labor accidents and/or employment opportunities. (All-Japan)
1985 Spring
- Resolved; that the authority of the executive branch of the National Government in regulating domestic public transportation should be significantly curtailed. (parameter; administrative branch means Prime Minister and his cabinet.) (TIDL/KIDL)
1985 Fall
- Resolved: that the central government should significantly increase the proportion of its revenues derived through indirect taxes. (All-Japan)
1986 Spring
- Resolved; that the Japanese National Government should further restrict the Freedom of the Press where that freedom infringes civil right of individuals. (TIDL/KIDL)
1986 Fall
- Resolved: that the Japanese government should significantly decrease the proportion of energy derived from depletable resources in the national energy supply. (JDC broad topic)
1987 Spring
- Resolved: That the Japanese Government should significantly decrease its control over agricultural products. (JDC)
1987 Fall
- Resolved: That the national government should restructure the Japanese elementary and/or secondary educational system to enhance its diversity. (JDC)
1988 Spring
- Resolved: That the Japanese government should geographically diversify functions located in Tokyo. (JDC)
1988 Fall - 1989 Spring
- Resolved: That the Japanese Government should promote environment protection by strengthening its regulation of public and/or private corporations. (JDC)
1989 Fall - 1990 Spring
- Resolved: That the Japanese Government should substantially change its foreign policy toward one or more Asian nations. (JDC)
1990 Fall - 1991 Spring
- Resolved: That the Japanese government should discontinue one or more of its programs contributing to the military potential of Japan. (JDC)
1991 Fall - 1992 Spring
- Resolved: That the Japanese government should establish one or more new laws that govern biomedical research and/or its applications to medical practice. (JDC broad topic)
- Resolved: That the Japanese government should legalize organ transplants from brain-dead donors. (JDC narrow topic)
1992 Fall - 1993 Spring
- Resolved: that the Japanese government should adopt a program to eradicate unfair commercial practices inside Japan carried out by private corporations or public organs. (JDA broad topic)
1993 Fall
- Resolved: That the Japanese government should extend the legal liability of Japanese citizens under twenty years of age. (JDA broad topic)
- Resolved: That the Japanese government should lower the legal age defined in the Juvenile Law. (JDA narrow topic)
- Resolved: That greater legal responsibilities for minors in Japan are desirable. (IEC)
1994 Spring
- Resolved: That the Japanese government should dispatch military units to participate in the Peace Keeping Forces of the United Nations. (JDA)
1994 Fall
- Resolved: That the Japanese government should stop construction of all or most dams in Japan. (JDA)
- Resolved: That the Japanese government should legalize euthanasia for patients of terminal illness. (IEC)
1995 Spring
- Resolved: That Japan should adopt a system of jury trial in its courts of law. (JDA)
1995 Fall
- Resolved: That Japan should promote closer diplomatic relations with one or more of the following: Myanmar, North Korea, and Taiwan. (JDA)
1996 Spring
- Resolved: That the Japanese government should legalize practices of medical euthanasia or organ transplants from brain dead donors. (JDA)
1996 Fall
- Resolved: That Japan and / or the United States should terminate the Japan-US Security Treaty. (JDA)
1997 Spring
- Resolved: That Japan should abolish the death penalty. (JDA)
- 1997 Fall
- Resolved: That the Japanese government should adopt a comprehensive program which increases the utilization of recycled material as ingredients in all or most industrial production.(JDA)
- 1998 Spring
Resolved: That the Japanese government should significantly expand the scope of admissible evidence in criminal court.(JDA)
- 1998 Fall
- Resolved:That the Japanese government should significantly reduce the progressiveness in the rates of direct taxes imposed on individuals.
1999 Spring
- Resolved:That the Japanese government should take non-threatening diplomatic measures to promote amicable relations with North Korea.
- 1999 Fall
- Resolved: that Japan should increase direct political participation of the people through the introduction of a direct election of the Prime Minister and/or a comprehensive system of national referendum.
- 2000 Spring
- Resolved:That the Japanese government should abandon all nuclear facilities used for the national energy supply.
- 2000 Fall
- Resolved:That the Japanese government should prohibit the production, import, and sale of any and all genetically modified food.
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