Professional Luncheon,
Toshio Tamogami,
Former Air Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff

The speech and Q& A will be in Japanese with English interpretation

Former Air Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff General Toshio Tamogami was dismissed on Oct. 31, hours after publishing a controversial essay about Japan's role in China and during WWII in which Tamogami asserted that Japan was not a wartime aggressor.

Tamogami remained in post until his retirement on Nov. 3, at age 60. Despite being asked by Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada to do so, Tamogami declared at a Nov. 12 Diet hearing that he would not return his retirement benefit of 60 million yen.

In the competition-winning essay sponsored by the APA Group, a private urban development company owned by Toshio Motoya, Tamogami referred to the government's interpretation of the Constitution, which holds that Japan possesses the right of collective self-defense, but may not exercise the right. The essay was awarded a prize of 30 million yen.

Not a man to shy away from controversy, at this event, Tamogami will present the message he truly meant to get across in his essay. He will also touch on his demotion and resignation in light of the larger issue of freedom of expression in Japan.

Sandwich: Smoked salmon, avocado & mizuna on rye
Hot plate: Baked golden chicken, yukari rice & green vegetables

Toshio Tamogami