A group of some 30 lawyers will fight to preserve Article 9 of the Constitution by giving a choral performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, which is dedicated to world peace and happiness. The concert is an effort to draw attention to political moves to revise the article, which renounces war.
With support from renowned musicians, including conductor Yuzo Toyama, composer Shinichiro Ikebe and cellist Masaharu Kanda, as well as the lawyers' families and legal clerks, the lawyers will sing on Sept. 26 in Tokyo, after five months of weekly rehearsals.
"At first I thought we could not make it happen . . . but we wanted to hold an event that everyone can participate in," said Akio Taba, 35, a lawyer who heads the event's organizing committee.