50 Years of Evolving Anti-Communism Struggle

“The Struggle Isn’t Over”: IFVOC President describes communism as evolving beyond Marx and Lenin making today’s battle one of cultural fronts 

Tokyo, 12th July 2025 – Published as an article in the Japanese newspaper Sekai Nippo. Republished with permission. Translated from Japanese. Original article. 

[Opinion & Commentary]

“Still Unable to Fully Defeat Communism”

Publishing “How the Federation for Victory Over Communism Fought”

by Tatsuo Ikenaga (池永達夫)

See also Dissolve Movement That Helped Protect Japan?

The International Federation for Victory Over Communism (IFVOC), which has led a patriotic movement opposing communism, has recently published “How the Federation for Victory Over Communism Has Fought” (Sekai Nippo Publishing), a retrospective of its more than 50 years of activity. We spoke with its current President, Yoshio Watanabe (渡邊芳雄), about what the essence of their struggle has been.

Post-Cold War: The Ongoing Cultural Struggle

Part 1 of interview with Yoshio Watanabe, President of the International Federation for Victory Over Communism

See part 2: Issue of Communism Reemerging as US-China Clash

Interviewer: Tatsuo Ikenaga (池永達夫)

– You’ve published a book summarizing over half a century of activity. What was the key point you most wanted to emphasize?

The assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (安倍晋三) on 8^th July 2022, was a turning point. We aimed to publish the book in time for the third anniversary of that incident.

The International Federation for Victory Over Communism was founded in 1968, the same year as the North Korean guerrilla attack on South Korea’s Blue House (the presidential residence).

Since then, we’ve fought against communism for over 50 years. Yet former president Gentarō Kajikuri (梶栗玄太郎 – 1937–2012) once reflected, shortly before his death, that “we have not fully defeated communism.”

While the Cold War may be over, communist ideology still lingers. Marx’s ideas have undergone reinterpretation and have morphed into various movements – gender-free ideologies, LGBTQ rights activism, same-sex marriage legalization, and more.

In that sense, the struggle continues. In fact, we now need to engage in a more intense ideological battle.

Communism’s ideal is supposedly a society free of exploitation and discrimination. Marx proposed a vision for realizing that society. Leninism, however, distilled this into violent revolution and one-party dictatorship. Dissenters in such systems are purged.

Antonio Gramsci of Italy, during the lifetimes of Lenin and Stalin, clearly criticized this approach, saying it could not bring about true communism. Gramsci argued that rather than seizing power and then changing culture, cultural transformation must come first – or at least occur in parallel. Without that, revolution won’t happen, and the ideal society can’t be realized.

Gramsci’s ideas have since spread widely through avenues like the Frankfurt School and have become major challenges in themselves.

During the Cold War, many were influenced by Marxism. But today’s activists don’t use words like “Marxism” or “communism”. Instead, they promote ideas aimed at dismantling culture, family, and religion – under the belief that without such dismantling, discrimination can’t be eliminated. This makes today’s cultural battle more insidious and far harder to overcome.

Continued in part 2: Issue of Communism Reemerging as US-China Clash

See also Dissolve Movement That Helped Protect Japan?

Featured image above: Yoshio Watanabe (渡邊芳雄) – Born in 1950 in Niigata Prefecture. Joined the anti-communist movement during his time at Niigata University. Has served as Akita Prefecture Chapter Chief, Central Headquarters Director of Education and Publicity, Secretary-General, and Vice President. Became President in May 2025. Photo: Sekai Nippo

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