HIROSHIMA PEACE CULTURE FOUNDATIONPEACE CULTURE
Vol. 1 No.71

June 2014 (semiannual)Strengthening Mayors for Peace Activities—Visit to Thailand and Australia—

November 12
At Chiang Mai, Mr. Komizo met with the acting mayor
Sruamchai Meesomsakdi and asked for cooperation in measures to promote Mayors for Peace activities.
This was followed by a meeting with Mr. Akihiko Fujii,
the Japanese Consul-General in Chiang Mai. Mr. Komizo
asked that information be provided on testimonial activities byatomic bomb survivors overseas, and asked for support for theholding of atomic bomb exhibitions and Mayors for Peace
membership recruitment activities.
Mr. Komizo also met with Mr. Senjyo Nakai, the deputy
director of the Japanese Studies Center at Chiang Mai
University. They discussed starting up the Hiroshima-Nagasaki
Peace Study Course and holding an exhibition of A-bomb artifacts: “The Light” - Portraits of the “Hibakusha”.
Asking Freemantle Mayor Mr. Pettitt (right) to assume the positionof Leader City

November 13
When Mr. Komizo returned to Bangkok, he met with Mr.
Virasakdi Futrakul, the former Thai ambassador to Japan, andheld a discussion on peace-related exchange activities between
young people in Thailand and Hiroshima.
This was followed by a meeting with Mr. Thanong Bidaya,
the former Minister of Finance in Thailand. They had a wideranging discussion, including topics such as carrying on themessage of the atomic bomb survivors to the next generation,international youth exchange activities, and the domestic situation in Thailand.
Mr. Komizo also met with Chulalongkorn University’s
Center for Peace and Conflict Studies Director Surichai
Wun’Gaeo, and held discussions on the importance of raisingpeace awareness at the municipal and civic levels, and collaboration between university projects and Mayors for Peace activities.

Mr. Yasuyoshi Komizo, the Secretary-General of the Mayors
for Peace and Chairperson of this Foundation, visited Bangkok
and Chiang Mai, Thailand and Freemantle and Sydney,
Australia, in November of last year. Mr. Komizo asked thesecities to assume the post of Leader City and held discussions
on that topic, while discussing the expansion of Mayors for
Peace activities in the respective regions. There were also talks
on future collaborative work with the Red Cross, atomic bomb
survivors who are involved in A-bomb testimony activities
overseas, peace-related research centers at universities, peace
NGOs and others.
Mr. Komizo also visited the Japanese diplomatic missions
in Thailand and Australia, and asked for their support inMayors for Peace activities in their respective regions.
Mr. Komizo’s main activities during the trips are outlined
below.

November 14
Mr. Komizo then traveled from Thailand to Australia, andfirst met in Perth with Mr. Koichi Funayama, the Japanese
Consul-General in Perth. He listened to an explanation on thesituation in Perth and Western Australia, and they discussed
municipal peace activities in the region.
Next, Mr. Komizo visited Freemantle Mayor Brad Pettitt,and asked the city to assume the position of Leader City for
Mayors for Peace. Mayor Pettitt said that he would like to consider the request, and they discussed the role of a Leader City.
The meeting was also attended by journalists Ms. Elizabeth
PO’ and Mr. Adrian Glamorgan, who attended the Mayors for
Peace General Meeting in August last year on the mayor’s behalf.
Mayor Pettitt accepted Leader City role in April 1, 2014
for western Australia after be obtained unanimous City
Council approval.

November 11
In Bangkok, Mr. Komizo met with Mr. Shigekazu Sato,the Japanese ambassador to Thailand. Mr. Komizo explained
measures to promote Mayors for Peace activities based in
Thailand and Malaysia, and asked for support for the activities.
He then met with Vice-Governor Amon Kitchawengkun.
He requested that Bangkok assume the position of Leader City,and discussed measures to strengthen Mayors for Peace activities, confirming the importance of international exchange between young people for building a peaceful future.
Mr. Komizo also met with Mr. Michio Hakariya, an atomic bomb survivor from Nagasaki who has been engaged extensively in and around Chiang Mai for the past few years in
A-bomb testimonial activities. They discussed testimonial activities overseas.
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November 15
In Sydney, Mr. Komizo met with Mr. Toshiaki Kobayashi,
the acting Consul-General in Sydney. He explained the issueof handing down atomic bomb testimonies when the atomic
bomb survivors are aging, and spoke about the formation ofregional groups in Mayors for Peace.
Mr. Komizo then met with Ms. Robyn Kemmis, theDeputy Mayor of Sydney, and heard about Sydney’s peace initiatives. They also discussed future possibilities for joint projects.

the start of negotiations for a nuclear weapons convention.
(Peace and International Solidarity Promotion Division)

Hiroshima-Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Exhibitionin Croatia
Last year, the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Exhibition
was held in Croatia, in the capital Zagreb from September 10
to October 6, and in the coastal city Biograd na Moru from
October 10 to December 10.
From 1991 to 1995, Croatia was in a conflict to gain its independence from Yugoslavia, and based on this experience ofwar, is one of the countries active in pursuing a peacefulworld. Biograd na Maru is a small city of just over 5,000 people, but as a Vice President City of Mayors for Peace is proactively involved in the organization’s activities. Thanks to cooperation from the city, we were able to hold the Atomic Bomb
Exhibition in Biograd na Maru as well as the capital Zagreb.
At the exhibition held at
the Technical Museum in
Zagreb, thanks to the wonderful work by the Museum
staff there was an impressive display of panels andatomic bomb artifacts, andas a result the truth of theatomic bombing was communicated to around 2,000
visitors. On October 6, thefinal day of the exhibition,a venue was set up for vis­
itors to hear the atomic
bombing testimony of Mr.
Takashi Teramoto, an atomic bomb survivor. Many ofVisitors looking at atomic bombing
the city’s residents came to artifacts (Zagreb City Technical Muthe venue of the testimony, seum)with standing room only.
Some of the visitors had tears in their eyes as they listened to
Mr. Teramoto’s story. In the question and answer session after
the testimony, people were nodding emphatically when Mr.
Teramoto said “It is important that we work to achieve perpetual world peace and the abolition of nuclear weapons not fromrevenge but with a spirit of reconciliation”.
The atomic bomb exhibition held at Biograd na Maru also
attracted a total of around 500 visitors, who fervently and carefully looked through the exhibition.
In the questionnaire many visitors highly praised the exhibition, including comments such as “Seeing this atomic bomb
exhibition had a very strong impact on me. Nuclear weapons
must be abolished” and “This was educational and worthwhile”.

November 16
Mr. Komizo met with Mr. Alain Aeschlimann, Head ofOperations for East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific,
International Committee of the Red Cross, who was attending
the meeting of representatives of the International Red Cross
and Red Crescent Movement. He proposed to strengthen cooperative relations between Mayors for Peace and Red Cross.
He also had a meeting with Ms. Kazuyo Matsu Preston,
who lives in Melbourne and is the representative of the peace
NGO Japanese for Peace. They discussed her organization’s
activities and future cooperation.
November 17
Mr. Komizo met with Ms. Junko Morimoto, who is anatomic bomb survivor and children’s book writer living in
Sydney. He heard about her activities to date with admiration,
wished for her good health and discussed about possible areaof cooperation with Mayors for Peace.
He also attended the meeting of representatives of theInternational Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement as an observer, and exchanged greetings with Mr. Peter Maurer,
President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mr.
Tadateru Konoe, President of the Japanese Red Cross Society,and others.
November 18
Mr. Komizo visited the Centre for Peace and Conflict
Studies and met with the head of the Centre, Dr. Ken Macnab,
and four other teaching staff from the Centre. At the meeting,
Mr. Komizo explained the Mayors for Peace initiatives, including collaboration with international organizations such as
the Red Cross. They discussed various issues of common interest, in particular, possible cooperation for the cause of nuclear abolition. He also asked that they set up the HiroshimaNagasaki Peace Study Course at Sydney University.
From November 11−15, the Mayors for Peace Atomic Bomb
Poster Exhibition was held at Sydney Convention Centre,
which was the venue of the International Federation of Red
Cross and Red Crescent Societies General Meeting. At thesame time attendees were asked to sign a petition calling for(Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Outreach Division)

Helping to write atomic bombing testimonies
At the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the
Atomic Bomb Victims, as the atomic bomb survivors get older, a project is underway to assist in the writing of atomic
bombing testimonies, for those who would like to record theirexperiences of the bombing but do not feel capable of writing
it by themselves. In this project, Memorial Hall staff members
visit the survivors in their homes or elsewhere, ask them about
their atomic bombing experience, and record it in writing. The
project has been going since 2006, and by 2012, interviews

Mayors for Peace Atomic Bomb Poster Exhibition at the venue ofthe International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies General Meeting2had been conducted with 81 people. In 2013 there were interviews with 12 people, whose atomic bombing testimonies aregradually being completed and released for public viewing at
the Memorial Hall. These are displayed in program exhibitions
and on the homepage, and are also provided to public bodies
and translated into multiple languages.
For the survivors, their experience of 68 years ago is engraved in their minds as if it were only yesterday, and theydraw from deep down in their memories as they speak of thetragedy at the time of the bombing. These were experiencesthat they did not want to be reminded of, that they had kept secretly in the depths of their souls, but they applied to record
their testimonies feeling that it is their mission to communicate
them to later generations.
Below is an excerpt of the atomic bombing testimony of
Mr. Masaru Takamatsu (aged 17 at the time of the bombing),
who received our assistance for his testimony. Mr. Takamatsu
was working at the Hiroshima army munitions facility when
the bomb was dropped, and after that was involved in work
carrying corpses.
……My job was to load the bodies of the people who had diedonto trucks. I did not have any gloves so I carried them withmy bare hands. The skin of the corpses was peeling away because of their burns, and when I tried to pick them up the skinwould peel off. When the skin peeled off it produced an awful
smell, a smell that seemed to remain on my hands, so that I
could smell it all the time. When I ate, I wrapped my hands inpaper. From August 7 onwards I was involved in this work carrying corpses. The corpses loaded onto the trucks were thentaken to schoolyards, where soldiers doused them in oil andburned them……
At the Memorial
Hall there are currently around 130,000
atomic bombing testimonies on display, including those written
as part of the testimony writing assistanceproject. We encourage people to visit theInterview with a survivor
Memorial Hall andexperience the words
and emotions of the atomic bomb survivors.

burns, and carried her home on his back, so we could nurse her
at home. It is not only the atomic bomb survivors who had
painful experiences from the bombing. When I think about
that, it makes me feel that peace is extremely important. Just
because I myself escaped the bombing does not mean that everything is fine. All members of the family have experiences
so painful that they want to die……
……As part of an arranged marriage, I was invited to my prospective wife’s home. Her brothers asked me what regiment I
belonged to. I said that I experienced the atomic bombing in
Hiroshima, but later I was severely reprimanded by the marriage mediator, who said “That’s not the kind of thing you
should say in front of people” ……I didn’t tell my own children that I am an atomic bomb survivor. I thought they’d probably realize as they got older anyway……
The survivors whogive testimonies speak
about what happened
when the bomb was
dropped, as well as
their situation when
they moved to otherprefectures or overseas, and their lives
since then.
The films recordRecording a testimony
ed are available forpublic viewing in the Memorial Hall and the homepage after
editing, and will also be on loan as peace study documents.
We continue to record as many of these precious testimonies as possible, both in Japan and overseas, to communicate
them to younger generations. At the Memorial Hall, in addition to these testimonial films, visitors can also read atomic
bombing testimonies and related books. We encourage you tovisit the Memorial Hall and experience the words and emotions of the atomic bomb survivors.
(Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic
Bomb Victims)

Seven staff members in charge of youth educationfrom German museums visit our museum
On November 18 last year, seven staff members in charge ofyouth education at museums in Germany visited the Peace
Memorial Museum. The group’s visit was part of Youth
Education in Museums in Japanese-German study program forprofessionals in child and youth services in 2013.
After visiting Peace Memorial Park and Peace Memorial
Museum, the group
participated in a discussion with the museum’s director Mr.
Siga and other staff
members from themuseum. The German
participants showeda very high level ofinterest in our museum, and asked many
Discussion with group
questions and offeredcomments on efforts made when showing the tragic displays tochildren, the difference in history education in Germany andJapan, and more. It was a very fruitful discussion.
Although the visit was short, it was a great opportunity to
ask directly about museums in Germany and the current stateof history education.

(Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic
Bomb Victims)

Recording of atomic bombing testimonial
video by survivors outside of Hiroshima andJapan
At the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the
Atomic Bomb Victims, recordings are made of testimonies byatomic bomb survivors living in other prefectures in Japan(outside of Hiroshima) and overseas.
In 2013, recordings were made of survivors living inFukushima Prefecture (1), Miyagi Prefecture (7), Iwate
Prefecture (2), Aomori Prefecture (1), Akita Prefecture (3),Niigata Prefecture (2) and Yamaguchi Prefecture (1), as wellas survivors living in Korea (4). Below are some excerpts fromthe recorded testimonies.
……I survived the atomic bombing. And now I’ve survived
the Great East Japan Earthquake too. When the tsunami
washed in, some people died, but I survived. I’ve been on thebrink of death twice……To create an environment where everyone is happy, we have to get rid of nuclear power……
……An uncle who wasn’t there at the time of the bombing
came to Hiroshima to look for my mother. He found her with

(Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Outreach Division)
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visit provided an opportunity to appreciate once again the significance of civic-level exchange activities.

Agreement on Enhanced Collaboration

Group from Hiroshima Peace Culture
Foundation Visits China(Peace and International Solidarity Promotion Division)

For seven days from November 28 to December 4, 2013, agroup from Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation visited
China.
Since 1988, this Foundation has continued with peace exchange activities through mutual visits with the Chinese
People’s Association for Peace and Disarmament (CPAPD),
which is a national peace organization in China that is registered as a United Nations NGO.
This time marked the 12th visit. The group of five, headedby Mr. Gen Kikkawa, a director of this Foundation and president of Hiroshima Peace Institute at Hiroshima City
University, visited Shanghai, Nanjing and Beijing.
The group arrived at Shanghai Pudong International
Airport on November 28, where they were met by people from
CPAPD. In Shanghai, they spoke with Shao Huixiang, deputy
director of the Shanghai Foreign Affairs Office, and asked that
Shanghai join Mayors for Peace. At Shanghai International
Studies University, Ms. Noriko Ueda and Ms. Setsuko Morita,
atomic bomb witnesses for this Foundation, spoke about their
atomic bomb experiences. The students listening commented
that they now have a deeper understanding of the damage fromthe atomic bomb. Some also asked questions about
Hiroshima’s recovery and about the research conducted at theHiroshima Peace Institute.
On November 30, the group arrived in Nanjing City, where
they toured the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall, and spokewith Cai Xisheng, deputy inspector of the People’s Gov­ern­
ment of Jiangsu Province, asking for the city’s support to recruit cities in Jiangsu Province to Mayors for Peace. Inspector
Cai stated that he would help in the distribution of materials
and other activities, and that he would like to use the opportunity of this visit to deepen friendship.
From the night of December 1, the group stayed in Beijing.
At the atomic bombing testimony given at Beijing Foreign
Studies University, students expressed their concern that atomic bombing testimonies would be lost now that almost 70 years
have passed since the bomb was dropped. Some also said thatthey would like to think about what they can do to help the
people of Japan and China communicate to each other theirwish for peace and friendship.
In the discussion
with Zhu Rui, Chief
Secretary of CPAPD,
and others from theorganization, participants spoke about enhancing collaboration,
and agreed to examine aframework for interna­
tional youth exchange
activities, as well as
Head of delegation Mr. Kikkawa (4th from continuing to pursueleft) and the group developed a deeper
civic exchange andfriendship with Deputy Chairperson He Jun(6th from left) and others involved in CPAPD enhance mutual understanding, and making
efforts to achieve the abolition of nuclear weapons. The groupthen toured the Museum of the War of Chinese People’s
Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and paid a courtesy visit to He Jun, the deputy chairperson of CPAPD who has visited
Hiroshima in the past as the head of a CPAPD delegation. This
was the final activity in the group’s China visit.
This visit marked the first time in 11 years (since 2002)
that a group visited Shanghai and Nanjing, and they were able
to make requests that the cities join Mayors for Peace. In the
midst of concerns over relations between Japan and China, this28th Children's Peace Drawings Competition
On December 14th last year, the awards ceremony for the 28th
Children’s Peace Drawings Competition was held in the
Memorial Hall at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
This competition has been held since 1986, with the aim ofheightening children’s awareness of the importance of peace.
There were 4,140 works sent in from 124 elementary and junior high schools in Hiroshima City, and 653 works sent infrom elementary and junior high schools in 7 other countries(America, Iran, India, Australia, Germany, France, Russia), fora total of 4,793 works.
The awards ceremony was attended by 35 of the Ex­cel­
lence and Distinction awards winners and their parents, andthe winners were presented with an award certificate and commemorative plaque.
An exhibition of the works was held from the day of theaward ceremony until January 23, 2014, in the foyer in front of
the Memorial Hall. A total of 120 works were displayed, including the three Award of Excellence winners, 39 Award ofDistinction winners, and 70 Award of Merit winners.
The names of the Award of Excellence winners and theirworks, as well as the names of the Award of Merit and Honoraward winners can be found in the Kids’ Peace Station section
on the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum home page.
(http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/)(Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Outreach Division)“Excellence” (Elementary School) “Excellence” (Junior High School
Kai Fujimoto／Kanon Elementary Category)
School, 6th Grade
Kana Tsumura／Shiraki JuniorHigh School 3rd Grade“Excellence” (Overseas Category)
Michaella Noof Albao／Bethlehem College (Australia), 8th Grade4

Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the
Atomic Bomb Victims Special Exhibition“Children of Hiroshima: Testament of the Boysand Girls of Hiroshima”◆Period : January 1 (Wed.)—December 28 (Sun.), 2014
◆Admission : FreeAt the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the
Atomic Victims, each year a special exhibition is held on a
specific theme, displaying atomic bombing testimonies andother articles, with the aim of communicating the truth of theatomic bombing.
This year’s special exhibition features 67 atomic bombing
testimonies written by people who were children at the time of
the bombing (from 4 years of age to 3rd year elementary school
students), selected from “Children of Hiroshima: Testament of
the Boys and Girls of Hiroshima”, which was published 6
years after the bombing.
In these atomic
bomb­ing testimonies
the children write
about the tragedy of
the war and the atomic bombing that they
themselves experienced, and their desire for peace. Below
we have selected excerpts of two of theexhibited testimonies
to share with you:those of Ms. Kiyoko
Tanaka (3rd year elementary school student at the time) andMr. Masatada Asaeda(3 rd year elementaryFirst edition of “Children of Hiroshima:school student at the
Testament of the Boys and Girls oftime).
Hiroshima” (1951)

Book presentation ceremony (1952)
Photograph provided by: Ms. Yuriko Hayashi

those people died with a hatred of war and a love of peace……
Ultimately, what I want to write, what I want to say is, what iswar? What is peace? Why do people say that we need thosehorrific atomic bombs to maintain peace? Why don’t humankind and science develop in harmony with each other? These
are the questions that I just cannot find the answers to, and thatjust won’t go away……
You can read the full texts of the testimonies in the Temporary
Exhibition Area and the Library at the Memorial Hall. The testimonies are also uploaded to the Memorial Hall homepage(http://www.hiro-tsuitokinenkan.go.jp/). In addition to the testimonies, the displays at the Memorial Hall also include photographs taken immediately after the bombing, A-bomb pictures
painted by citizens, and atomic bombing artifacts such as
clothes of children who experienced the bombing.
The testimonies are also presented in audio and video format, using related photographs and pictures. All videos, including those made for previous special exhibitions, may beviewed in the Library. DVDs of the videos are also available
for rental as peace study materials. Please inquire at theMemorial Hall if you would like to borrow a DVD.
【Inquiries】
Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic
Bomb Victims
TEL : 81-82-543-6271
FAX : 81-82-543-6273
E-mail : info@hiro-tsuitokinenkan.go.jp

After the bombing, Ms. Tanaka was traveling on a boat withher mother to an aid station on Ninoshima Island, when she
met with a young girl who was seriously injured.
……There was a girl about my age sitting in front of mymother. She had burns and injuries all over her body, and was
bleeding. She weakly called “Mother…” a number of times,
and then suddenly asked my mother “Is your child here?” She
had lost her sight. My mother replied, “Yes, she’s here”. Thenthe girl held something out and said “Please give this to yourdaughter”. It was a lunch box……My mother said “Aren’t you
going to eat this?” and the girl replied “There’s no hope for me
now. Give it to your daughter.”…… The boat traveled down
the river for a while and reached the sea. The girl then said, “I
will tell you my name, so if you see my mother, please tell herthat I’m here”, and with that she breathed her last breath andpassed away……My mother and I wept together……

Citizens’ Fund-raising Activities to Help
Victims of Typhoon No.30 in the Philippines
On November 8 last year, Typhoon No.30 (Filipino name:
Yolanda) hit the central region of the Republic of thePhilippines. Leyte Island and many other regions were affected by violent rainstorms, and severe damage wascaused by high waters, flooding and landslides throughout
the region.
In view of the severity of the damage caused,
Hiroshima City and this Foundation held fund-raising activities from November 19 last year to January 20 thisyear, to provide humanitarian aid. In response, many citizens and organizations kindly provided donations, and thetotal amount raised was 1,649,648 yen.
On January 31 the funds were sent to the Japan Red
Cross Society, to be used to purchase medical supplies,
drinking water, food and daily living commodities.

Mr. Asaeda was playing at a sports ground when the bomb was
dropped. He was taken to a temple in Kabe (Hiroshima City)
by truck together with his mother and older sister.
……How should I describe life at the temple…I think that only those who were there can understand. How to describe thesight of people covered in burns spent each day there, groaning, maggots festering in the bodies of those people with noone to look after them, who then died mumbling something
unintelligible. Maybe this is what they call a “living hell”.
With no knowledge of the fact that we lost the war, I think(International Relations & Cooperation Division)
5

Go On” by the Canadian singer Celine Dion and other numbers, to an excited audience.

Sister and Friendship City Days commemorative events

Hiroshima citizens enjoy foreign cultures

Hiroshima City holds Sister and Friendship City Days for eachof the six overseas cities with which it has sister city andfriendship city ties, and commemorative events are held onthese days. The events are led by the Hiroshima Messengers,
selected through a public recruitment process.
Daegu Day
The Daegu Day commemorative event was held from May
3-5, 2013, at the Hiroshima Flower Festival venues.
On May 3, after an on-stage reenactment of the document
exchange ceremony of the Joseon missions to Japan, a commemorative ceremony was held, with speeches by the
Chairperson of the Daegu Day Executive Committee, theMayor of Hiroshima, the Mayor of Daegu Metropolitan City,and the Consul-General of the Republic of Korea ConsulateGeneral in Hiroshima on the theme of “Let’s Broaden the
Rings of Friendship”. As an introduction to Korean culture andart, there were performances by the Seoul Chung-Ang
University percussion group, the Hiroshima Prefecture branchof the Korean Youth Association, and others, enthralling theaudience.

Commemorative concert

At the end of the event was a fun lottery draw with specialty products such as smoked meat as prizes.
There was also an exhibition of Canadian goods, a presentation on Montreal International Mosaicultures 2013, andmore.
Approximately 320 people came to the event, enjoying
themselves and learning more about Montreal and Canada.
Hanover Day
The Hanover Day commemorative event was held on
August 2 at International Conference Center Hiroshima.
The event included a tea ceremony experience in the styleof Ueda Soko, who had a strong connection with Hanover,tasting of sausages made using the authentic German method,
tasting of baumkuchen cake, a demonstration of German cakemaking, Luettje Lage (a drinking method peculiar to Hanover,where two different alcoholic drinks are poured into two small
glasses and then drunk in one gulp), and more. All sections
were bustling with people.

Performance by Daegu Metropolitan City Arts GroupOver the three days a Daegu Korea area called Madan was
also set up. The sections such as an introduction to Daegu
Metropolitan City and Korea, commemorative photos wearing
ethnic costume, chima jeogori, and sales of Korean homecooked food were bustling with families and young women,
who were able to fully enjoy Korean culture.
A special venue was also set up on the piloti of theHiroshima Peace Memorial Museum’s Main Building for the
Daegu Bass Drums that were a gift from Daegu Metropolitan
City, with bass drum performances and opportunities for children to beat the drums.
There were around 7,700 visitors over the three days ofthis very successful event.

Tasting of German-style baumkuchen cakeIn the exhibition on Hanover and Germany, there were
panels displaying the 30-year history of relations between
Hiroshima City and Hanover City, a section where participants
could experience making paper models of Hanover trains, anda section on German picture books with readings of the books.
All sections were very popular.
As 2013 marks the 30th anniversary of the sister city relationship between the two cities, a delegation from Hanover
City participated in the commemorative event, and made aspeech at the opening ceremony. This was followed by a presentation on the city of Hanover and Hanover companies by a
Hiroshima Messenger who visited Hanover as a member of theHiroshima City delegation.
Next was a concert of German music, where four groups
of professional musicians entranced the audience with a won-Montreal Day
A Montreal Day commemorative event was held at
Hiroshima City International House on July 7, 2013.
First, visitors enjoyed a taste of some Montreal cuisine, including smoked meat and cranberry juice.
After the opening ceremony, Mr. Hideho Tanaka, a
Hiroshima Messenger, provided an explanation of festivals in
Montreal City, and three Montreal residents spoke about how
they live in Montreal City.
The commemorative concert was a jazz concert, fitting forMontreal, which is renowned for its international jazz festival.
A trio of Hiroshima residents, Ms. Yuko Kishimoto, Mr. Tom
Southerton and Mr. Satoshi Ishii, performed “My Heart Will
6

derful performance of mainly German pieces.
The event attracted around 420 visitors, who developed agreater understanding of Hanover and Germany while enjoying the variety of sections in the program.

Hiroshima, together with students from the class.

Volgograd Day
The Volgograd Day commemorative event was held at
Hiroshima City International House on September 8, 2013.
With a live piano performance as a backdrop, visitors enjoyed tasting famous Russian specialties such as piroshki,
Russian cake and Georgian wine, with many praising the wonderful flavors.
At the opening ceremony in the hall, the Mayor of
Hiroshima and an official from the Russian Federation Consul
in Osaka gave speeches, and read out a message from the
Mayor of Volgograd.
Next was a Russian language class and quiz, run by a
Hiroshima Messenger. The Russian language course was particularly popular, with some saying “This is the first time I’ve
felt so close to the Russian language”.
This was followed by a Russian music concert. First, Mr.
Ryuji Tanaka, the representative of Hiroshima Chorus, acted
as conductor for a chorus accompanied by Mr. Kazuki Tanaka
on piano, and visitors enjoyed singing along to a medley including the Russian folk song “Troika”. Next was a performance of Russian songs by Ensemble H[akka], a group of performers and composers using various different instruments.
The concert ended with a performance by Hiroshima Junior
Marimba Ensemble. The audience clapped and cheered to thediverse Russian music played with a variety of different musical tones.
There was also a display section with information on
Russia and Volgograd, craftworks and pictures of Volgograd
City, and photos of exchange activities.

Erhu performance by Mr. Rongchun Zhao and students
from his erhu class

The 200 visitors to the event also enjoyed the lottery draw
for commemorative goods from Chongqing City, and gained adeeper understanding of Chongqing and China through theevent.
In the visitor’s questionnaire, 67% of visitors responded
that they would accept people from Chongqing City as homestay guests.
Honolulu Day
The Honolulu Day commemorative event was held on
November 9, 2013 at the underground event space at the South
Exit of Hiroshima Station.
First, visitors were welcomed with flavored coffee andfruit juice.
The event opened with a performance of the classic huladance Kahiko. This was followed by speeches by a representative of the executive committee, the Mayor of Hiroshima and aspeech via video by the Mayor of Honolulu.
Next, Hiroshima Messengers Ms. Mari Miwa and Mr.
Daisuke Toi gave a presentation on Hawaii’s history, culture
and lifestyle, which included a video on the big screen and live
interviews on the local lifestyle with Honolulu residents using
Skype.
Next there was a performance on stage by a Hawaiian
band together with gorgeous hula dancing, filling the venue
with a tropical, relaxed atmosphere. Some members of the audience came up on stage to be taught the hula dance, and in theend, everyone joined in a chorus of “Hawaii Aloha”. The event
gave visitors a chance to experience Hawaii for themselves.

Displays with information on Volgograd City

Approximately 250 people came to the event, where they
developed greater interest in and understanding of Volgograd
and Russia.
Chongqing Day
The Chongqing Day commemorative event was held at
Hiroshima City International House on October 20, 2013.
Visitors first enjoyed Sichuan cuisine including twice
cooked pork, braised beef, boiled dumplings, and ulong tea.
A Hiroshima Messenger then gave an easy-to-understandintroduction of Chongqing culture and tourist information using a video, and there was also a mini-class on the Chinese
language.
At the commemorative concert, the members of the
Nijihashi Society (a specified nonprofit corporation) gave achildren’s martial arts performance, and the Hiroshima Branchof the Japan-China Friendship Association gave a tai chi demonstration. The concert ended with an erhu (2-stringed instrument played with a bow) performance by Mr. Rongchun Zhao,
who came to Japan in 2005 and runs an erhu class in

Hula dance lesson for visitors

At the venue were displays and sale of Hawaiian goods, asection where participants could make their own ribbon lei,and more. Around 500 people attended and enjoyed themselves as they learned about Hawaii and Honolulu.
(International Relations & Cooperation Division)
7

west. They were all naked and covered in serious burns. Their
scorched skin was peeling away and hanging down, and I
could hear their anguished voices. “Help me”, “I’m in pain”,“Water…” There was a mother carrying a baby on her back,and the baby was half melted and was stuck to the woman’sback. Of course the baby was dead. In any case they were all
naked and trudging along from the west like sleepwalkers, saying “Water…water…”
Throughout the city at the time, for firefighting purposes,
were concrete water tanks around 1 meter in height and thesame in diameter, about one tank every 20 meters. Because it
was summer, the tanks were swarming with mosquito larva.
Seven or eight people who had come to get some water werelying dead with their heads face down in the water. I couldn’t
look. When I reached Enko River, the river banks on bothsides were filled with lines of people who had come to the river to drink the water and then had just died there. It was truly
like hell, and made me want to cover my eyes.

Memoir of the A-bombing

Let's End All Conflictby Yasusuke TAGAWA
Atomic Bomb Witness
for This Foundation

Growing up during the Pacific War
When I was 15 we were in the middle of the war, and although I was a student (at Hiroshima Prefecture Itosaki
Railway School) there was no thought of study. We were toldthat working was a part of our studies, and we were mobilized
to factories and the munitions industry. We had to follow theorders of the military and the police in everything that we did,
but we had been taught that it was normal so it did not botherus. That was just how things were then.
Just before I turned 17 I was mobilized to Hiroshima
Engine Depot No.1, and even after I turned 17 I just kept on
working, with no graduation ceremony, until the ominous dateof August 6 arrived.
Early in the morning I boarded the train at Itosaki Stationin the eastern part of Hiroshima Prefecture as a member of the
train crew. We arrived at Hiroshima Station nearly one hourlater than the scheduled time. We had just changed over the locomotive engine, finished the final check and reported to thesupervisor, and I had changed from my uniform into regularclothes and come out into the square.

Secondary exposure when reentering the city
The house that I had been renting had been destroyed byfire, so I just tried to flee to the east. I heard that there weretrains taking victims to the east, and when I went to the yard
where the freight cars were operated, there were seven freighttrains waiting there. Many of the people who had fled there
were put on the freight trains, and I got on too. The train left at
9:30, arrived at Itosaki Station in just over an hour. At the time
there were two large hospitals attached to the munitions factory on the top of the hill in front of Itosaki Station, and the people who had come on the freight train were all carried to those
hospitals. I went further east from Itosaki to get back to myfamily home in the country, and recuperated from my wounds
for ten days there. In September Hiroshima was hit by a typhoon. I didn’t know it at the time, but although the fires fromthe bombing had been extinguished Hiroshima was in a terrible state.
Once I got better, my parents told me to return toHiroshima. My mother made me four meal’s worth of riceballs, and I left home at 4am and headed for Hiroshima. But
due to the typhoon the railway tracks on the Sanyo Line had
been washed away in many places, and I ended up walking
most of the way back to Hiroshima. By the time I arrived in
Hiroshima it was 7pm at night. I had finally arrived back, but
was told that because the rail tracks had been washed away
and the trains could not run, there was no work for the traincrews. I spent another ten days in Hiroshima in a state ofhomelessness.
Nobody in Hiroshima at the time knew just how horrificradiation is. People continued to come to Hiroshima fromneighboring towns and villages to search for people who had
come to work in the city and had not been seen again. These
people were exposed to residual radiation and many later suffered and died from radiation-related illnesses.
I was one of those exposed to radiation upon entering thecity. At the time of the bombing I was young and therefore
healthy, but approximately 15 years after the bombing I developed radiation-associated retinopathy and suffered for threemonths. Around 25 years after the bombing my thyroid glandswelled up and although I had been a good singer up until thatpoint, my voice started to get hoarse. Even today I find it difficult to swallow anything hard. When I turned 80, a spot like asmall dot suddenly appeared on the side of my nose, and it
gradually got bigger and swelled up to the size of an adzuki
bean. I found out that it was cancerous and had an operation.
Little by little I am experiencing for myself the horror of radiation.

Hellish scenes all around me!!
From the west there was a great flash of light, and a waveof heat, and I instinctively put my hands in front of my face.
The backs of my hands were stinging, and although I had no
idea what was going on I started running to the east. It was atthat moment that there was a huge boom and massive blast,and I was thrown around 6 meters into the middle of a nearby
barber’s salon. Pieces of glass and plaster fell from above me,
and I worried about what might happen, but the area aroundme gradually became lighter, so I picked my way out of the
rubble with others who were in the barber’s salon and went
outside.
First I went to Hiroshima Station, thinking that I would be
able to flee by train. But the station building had collapsed, thesteel frames on the platform were bent and the trains had derailed. So then I decided to go to see what had happened to thehouse in Hiroshima that I had been renting with my friend, andwent out to the street.
In the street were crowds of people who had fled from the

My friends, my seniors and juniors - may your souls rest inpeace
My friend who was renting the house together with me

Hiroshima Station (around October 1945)
Photograph by Mr. Toshio Kawamoto.
Provided by Mr. Yoshio Kawamoto.

8was sleeping soundly on the morning of August 6, and died in
the fire trapped under the rubble of the collapsed house. My
seniors who had helped me at work died one after anotherfrom the effects of the radiation, bringing me much sadness.
One person two years younger than me who I worked withwas 1.2km away from the hypocenter when the bomb was
dropped, and was covered in burns all over his body. Although
he was treated in hospital and returned to work, his face wascovered in keloids, and it looked painful for him to speak. He
had a number of operations that removed the skin little by little and was happy that he had somehow recovered his appearance, but he died of illness at the age of 42. This, too, was hard
to watch.
I want us to continue to communicate these horrors of theatomic bomb to people in the future. And I want nothing morethan nuclear weapons to be reduced to zero. I put down my
pen now praying that the souls of those many people who losttheir lives may rest in peace.

“A-bomb Drawings by Survivors”
by Kichisuke YOSHIMURA,“Their clothes ripped to shreds, their skin hanging down. On
the riverbank I saw figures that seemed to be from anotherworld. Ghost-like, their hair falling over their faces, their clothes
ripped to shreds, their skin hanging. A cluster of these injured
persons was moving wordlessly toward the outskirts.”

ProfileYasusuke TAGAWA

ized what that sound was. It was the sound of people with hairthat was frizzy and standing on end and the skin from theirfaces and their bodies peeling away and hanging down. The
people were fleeing, dragging their skin along with them.

Born 1928 in Kinosyo Village, Mitsugi County. At the age of 16, started working at the national railway as a mobilized student, continuing
for over 38 years. After retirement, employed at the Hiroshima Bus
Center and the Silver Human Resources Center. Has an exceptionallystrong hatred of conflict.

My grandmother's atomic bombing experienceMy grandmother was a kind, gentle person, and lived in
Mukainada with my mother’s younger brother. Around once aweek, she would walk to our house and bring pumpkin, sweet
potato, with some leaves and stalks, carrying them all in a baby
carriage made from woven cane. On the morning of August 6,
she had left the house as usual saying that she was going to ourhouse, and it was then that the bomb hit.
From the morning of the 7th, my mother went around to aid
stations as far as the area near the hypocenter, searching for mygrandmother. She took me with her, not wanting to leave me athome on my own. The smell that met us when we entered theaid stations was indescribable. I felt that it must be the smell of
the complete razing of all of Hiroshima, the people, animals,
plants and buildings. I cannot forget that smell even today.
On the 8th we went to an aid station that was probably
close to Hatchobori. Someone grabbed my leg, saying“Water…” I went to the broken tap and got some water in myhands, and brought it to the person. One or two drops of water
fell on the person’s lips, and he said something that sounded
like “Thank you”. But then another person pushed me away,
saying “You can’t give water to this person!” After a shorttime, the person who had drunk the water stopped moving. I
can still hear the words said to me at that time: “He died because you gave him water.”
The streets were full of people trapped under the rubble ofcollapsed houses, dead with their hands still raised in the air;people lying dead on the side of the road, eyes wide open as if
staring at the sky; people trapped between the clay walls ofhouses, half of their bodies burned, the other half not burned
but covered in soot. I was terrified at the time, but just did mybest to keep up with my mother. My mother put her hands together in prayer as we passed those tragic corpses. And it was
not only people - there were many dead horses too. Some ofthe horses had swollen stomachs. We had to step over manydead people and horses to make our way forward.
On the 9th, we went around to a few aid stations in the
Ushita area, and finally found my grandmother. Her wholeback was burned black, and she was lying on her stomach. We
had her taken to the military and shipping headquarters facility
in Ujina near our house, and I went there too to look after her.
My job was to use a fan to chase away the flies that would reston the wounds on her back. Even so a number of flies some-

Memoir of the A-bombing

Living for Todayby Tamiko SHIRAISHI
Atomic Bomb Witness
for This Foundation

My atomic bombing experience
August 6, 1945, was sunny with not a cloud in the sky, andthe sun was beating down brightly. I was 7 years old, a firstgrade student at Ujina Elementary School (4 kilometers fromthe hypocenter). As usual I ran around the playground for awhile, put on the air raid hood next to my desk, and had justtaken a book out of my bag and opened it, when I saw a bluish-white light from the skylight on the right.
As I wondered what it could be, there was a huge boom
that felt like it would burst my eardrums and at the same time
the windows smashed, and the shards of glass came flying toward me. All at once the classroom burst into a commotion
and we all ran out to the shoe rack in the corridor, crying as weran. In the confusion I could not find my shoes.
I went home from school barefoot. On the way home there
was shattered glass everywhere. My mother was waiting forme in front of the house. I had glass stuck in two places in myhead, two places on the inner side of my left hand and innumerable places on the soles of my feet, but thankfully thewounds were minor. My mother removed the small pieces ofglass one by one with tweezers.
That night I just lay there, sleepy but unable to sleep, andas I did I could hear a sound coming from the road in front of
our house, like something being dragged along the street. I
managed to fall asleep somehow. My mother woke me thenext morning, and when I got ready and looked outside, I real9

how stopped on her wounds and lay eggs there. I had to remove the maggots that tried to make their way into her body.
The day before my grandmother died, she said that she wanted
my mother to make some sushi for her to eat. But we could not
get the ingredients and in the end she passed away without eating sushi.

High School Students’ Peace Club

Hibaku Piano Concert–Let’s Express Our Desire for Peace Through Music–

Hiroshima City and this Foundation have been running theHigh School Students’ Peace Club since 2002, to nurture human resources for the promotion of peace. This year the Clubhad 26 members, who learned about the truth of the atomic
bombing, and were involved in exchange activities with young
people from Nagasaki City and attended peace study sessions
with high school students from other municipalities, thus communicating the importance of peace. One of the activities thisyear was the Hibaku Piano Concert, which was held on
November 24 last year in the underground area near the south
exit of Hiroshima Station. The concert was held to encourage
more people to take an interest in nuclear weapons and peace.
The performers in the concert were Peace Club members’
fellow school club members and friends who supported theaims of the concert, and the concert was an opportunity forthem to show everyone the results of their daily practice. The
Peace Club members also made all the flyers and programs
themselves, and prepared enthusiastically for the event.
On the day, there were as many as 300 people at the venue.
There was a guest performance by Hiroshima Jupiter Boys &Girls Chorus Group, exciting the crowd even more. In his
speech, Hiroshima Mayor Matsui spoke to the visitors, saying“The starting point for peace is for young people to hold
events like this all over the city, so that we can all think together about achieving peace. This is how peace is born in thehearts of individuals. This is what is meant by ’a peaceful
city’”. He also thanked the High School Students’ Peace Club
members for their efforts.
At the end of the concert, all performers, the Mayor and
the Peace Club members sang “Flowers will bloom” together,and the venue was filled with a harmony of peace.

Emotional wounds (trauma) and illness
After the bombing I had more and more sleepless nights. I
was having dreams about horrific scenes of the bombing. Even
during the day, I would recall the dropping of the bomb andbecame scared of airplanes. Every time a plane flew overhead
I would hide in my room.
In the spring of my third year at elementary school, I had afever of 40 degrees and constant bloody stools, and was admitted to the Red Cross Hospital. The doctor suspected that it was
typhoid fever, but could not find any typhoid bacillus. The
high fever and diarrhea made me physically weak, and I started talking loudly in my delirium. Apparently someone in thehospital laundry said to my mother, not realizing she was mymother, “That child was talking in a loud voice again today, so
it looks like she hasn’t died yet”. I can still remember the painful expression on my mother’s face when she told me that.
I was away from school for a year after that, but got betterand returned to school when I was in fourth grade at elementary school. But at school I was bullied by some of my classmates, who said things like “Don’t go near her, she experienced the A-bomb. If you go near her you’ll get sick”, and I
stopped going to school for a while because of this. When
there were hard times like that and I was feeling dejected, mymother would say, “The most important thing for a girl is tosmile. When you speak to someone kindly with a smile on
your face, you get a smile back from the other person.” She
was always saying this.
For junior high school I took exams to enter a private junior high school in the city. None of the girls at the junior highschool knew me, so there was no one to bully me about my
A-bomb experience and I enjoyed my school days.
I got married when I was 21 and for the time being, I could
not tell my husband that I was an A-bomb survivor. Our son
was born one year after we got married, and he was close topremature and a weak child. Until my son was around 13, I
was unable to tell my husband that I thought that our son was
physically weak because I had experienced the atomic bomb.
Being an atomic bomb survivor is not an experience limited
just to that time - it is a burden that we have had to bear for
many, many years after that.
To our future leaders
It was my mother’s death that became the trigger for me to
get involved in peace volunteer activities. Up until that time I
had not been able to speak about my A-bomb experience or
my grandmother’s death after the bombing. I had pushed suchmemories deep inside of me, wanting to somehow forget themand put them behind me. However, as I participated in the activities I came to realize that there are many people who do notknow about Hiroshima or the bombing. Compared to you,
A-bomb survivors like me do not have as long left to live.
Please remember these horrible things caused by the A-bomb.
I hope that you will work towards the abolition of nuclear
weapons, so that we can have lasting world peace.

Chorus of “Flowers will bloom”

In the questionnaire to participants, there were comments
including “This is precisely the kind of activity that Hiroshima
City should support”, “I was touched by the passion of thehigh school students”, “This kind of activity should be continued in the future”, and “This left me feeling very good”. Young
respondents in their teens and 20s commented, “This made me
think about the importance of peace, and what I should do toachieve it”, and “This must be passed on to the next generation”. Such comments indicate that the aim of holding the concert, to enhance awareness of peace among the young generation, was achieved.
We would like to thank so many people for attending andproviding such warm support.

ProfileTamiko SHIRAISHI
Born 1939. As a first-grade elementary school student, aged 7, she hadjust opened a book in a school classroom 4 kilometers from the hypocenter when the bomb was dropped. After retirement at age 60, active
as a peace volunteer from 2000. Started activities as an atomic bomb
witness for this Foundation from 2013.

(Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Outreach Division)
10How the Red Cross has been playing its rolein a Humanitarian Approach towards the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
NPT Review Conference in May of the same year included thestatement to reaffirm the need for all States to constantly adhere to all international laws, including international humanitarian law. This was the first, and was the trigger not only forthe governments but also for various civil organizations to approach the Red Cross asking for its perspective on the nuclear
weapons issue.
This phrase “international humanitarian law” was not in
the first draft of the Action Plan, and was added as the result ofcomments made by the representative of the Swiss government. These moves by the Swiss Government and the statement made by Dr. Jakob Kellenberger, President of ICRC at
the time, to the diplomatic corps in Geneva would not be amere coincidence. At the beginning of his statement, Dr.
Kellenberger explained the fundamental stance of the ICRC /Red Cross, by saying that the debate on nuclear weapons
should not take place only from military or political considerations and that, ultimately, it should be based on considerations of the benefits to human beings, the basic principles ofhumanitarian law and the future of the whole of humankind.
He became a focus of attention with his statement that nuclear
weapons should never be used again, and with his call for theconclusion of a legally binding treaty for that purpose.

by Hiroto OYAMA,

Deputy Director,
Office of the President Japanese Red Cross Society

Introduction
In the midst of the global trend pushing for the eliminationof nuclear weapons, it is the approach of discussing nuclear
weapons from a humanitarian perspective that has been getting
the growing focus of attention since the 2010 NPT (Treaty on
the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons) Review Con­fer­ence. In February 2014, an international conference to add
depth to the debate was held in Nayarit, Mexico, and was attended by government representatives, the Red Cross, NGOs
and others from 146 states. I too participated in this conference
as a member of the International Federation of Red Cross and
Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) delegation.
In Japanese context, the Red Cross is commonly associated with blood services such as blood donations and medical
services at Red Cross hospitals. As a matter of fact, this is rather rare perception in the world, where the identity of the Red
Cross is primarily as a relief organization, specializing in disaster response and disaster preparedness both domesticallyand internationally. Taking this opportunity, I would like to introduce the Red Cross’ involvement in the nuclear weapons issue to date, based on the Resolution 1 of the Council ofDelegates of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent
Movement in 2011. (2011 CoD Resolution. See Appendix for
detail) It is indeed the Red Cross who has been one of the main
drivers of the recent humanitarian approach toward the elimination of nuclear weapons, and it is the aforementioned Red
Cross identity as a relief organization that gives the driving
force in such effort.

Significance of the 2011 CoD Resolution
The 2011 CoD Resolution was the product of such background. The Resolution emphasizes, by adding on top of the
Kellenberger statement, the lack of humanitarian relief capability to cope with the consequences caused by the use of nuclear weapons. In other words, the Red Cross, itself as a provider of humanitarian relief, claims that it would not be able toprovide effective humanitarian relief in such situation. The
mandate of the Red Cross is to be prepared for natural disasters, accidents and unforeseen incidents, including the relief
for the victims of a nuclear disaster in case of nuclear power
plant accident, for instance. The perspective of the Red Cross
can be seen as credible enough because of the fact that even
the Red Cross would not be able to respond to any use of nuclear weapons.
Another key factor of this Resolution is its international
nature. Being an international resolution, the message of the
Red Cross went beyond the borders of one Swiss organization,
the ICRC, and became the one owned by the global Red Cross
Movement. Such global aspect of the Resolution has become amajor source of encouragement not only for the Japanese Red
Cross Society but also for the Norwegian Red Cross whosecountry is a member of NATO, and Australian Red Cross
whose country is also under the similar nuclear umbrella.

Background of the 2011 CoD Resolution
The Red Cross has a long relationship with nuclear weapons. When the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in
1945, the Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital (name at the time),
whose building miraculously survived the bombing, became
the stage for immediate relief activities for the affected. One
month later, Dr. Marcel Junod of the International Committeeof the Red Cross (ICRC) became the first foreign doctor tocome to Hiroshima after the bombing. He communicated to
the world the tragedy that he witnessed, and negotiated with
General Headquarters, the Supreme Commander for the AlliedPowers at the time to have around 15t of medical supplies andmedical equipment delivered to Hiroshima. In 1946, after theSecond World War, the Red Cross concluded nuclear weapons
as indiscriminate weapons, and lobbied the governments of thesignatories to the Geneva Convention to have nuclear weapons
added to the weapon list to be banned under the Geneva
Convention, same as poison gas munitions and bacteriologicalweapons. The International Conference of the Red Cross and
Red Crescent in Stockholm in 1948, however, could only
adopt the resolution of limited impact that requested the governments to pledge not to use atomic power and other similartypes of power for the purpose of war, rather than declaring
nuclear weapons illegal in light of the Geneva Convention.
This event demonstrated that taking actions against nuclear
weapons would not be easy even for the Red Cross - as a front
runner of the humanitarian relief and as a guardian of international humanitarian law.
After that time, there were fewer opportunities for the Red
Cross to express its position exclusively on nuclear weapons.
However, the year of 2010 turned out to be a turning point. In
particular, the Action Plan for Nuclear Disarmament at the

Impact of the 2011 CoD Resolution–Joint Statements, Oslo
Conference, Mexico Conference
Since that time there has been a steady growth in attention
paid at inter-governmental conferences to the humanitarian
impact of nuclear weapons. The year after the 2011 CoDResolution was adopted, in May 2012, the 1st Preparatory
Committee Meeting for the 2015 NPT Review Conference washeld (Vienna), and it was there that the Swiss government representative announced the Joint Statement on the humanitarian
dimension of nuclear disarmament, which was based on what
was written in the 2011 CoD Resolution and jointly signed by
16 states. After this, the number of signatories to similar jointstatements increased up to 35 states in October of that year
(United Nations General Assembly First Committee), 80 states
in April 2013 (2nd Preparatory Committee Meeting for the2015 NPT Review Conference), and had reached 125 states,
including Japan, by October of that year when the 4th jointstatement was signed (United Nations General Assembly First
Committee). In March 2013 the Norwegian government held
the Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear
11

Weapons, and 127 government representatives gathered to attend the meeting. At the beginning of the meeting, ICRC
President Peter Maurer stated loudly and clearly once againthat the Red Cross would not be able to respond to the humanitarian consequences that would occur if nuclear weapons wereused.
The Mexico Conference, just held in February 2014, gathered attention as people watched for the follow-up actions thatwould be taken after the Norway Conference. The increased
number of participating states - from 127 in Norway to 146 in
Mexico - was one positive outcome. In terms of content, there
were reports on risk management, which was not covered at
the Norway conference. In other words, the possibility of misfires resulting from mistakes with machinery or human error,
infiltration into systems by hackers, and other risks relating to
the maintenance, management and operation of nuclear weapons were discussed.
At this conference,
the United Nations also reported that responding to the consequences of the useof nuclear weapons
would be difficult,and that both of international coordination
during emergencies
and preparedness meas­ Opening speech by Ms. Christine Beerli,ures be also major chal- Vice-President of ICRC (2014 Mexico Conference)
lenges.
In light of the fact that verification of “evidence”-based
humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons that had started in
Norway had proceeded further, the Mexico Conference closedwith an expression of great expectations that the humanitarian
approach would in the future lead to concrete actions to eliminate nuclear weapons. The 5 nuclear-weapon states were allabsent from both the Norway Conference and the Mexico
Conference. The Austrian government will be hosting the next
international conference of similar kind later this year, andthere will be attention focused on what preparations will bemade for the conference.

ter-governmental events prior to this conference, including theconference (mentioned above) to be held by the Austrian government, and the 2015 NPT Review Conference. The Red
Cross will continue to closely monitor such international trend.
In the same way as the Red Cross, Mayors for Peace too has asits strength in its global aspect, linking nations through its
clear aim of building solidarity among cities for the abolitionof nuclear weapons. I think that there are many things that the
Red Cross can learn from Mayors for Peace, both in terms of
how the organization has exercised such strength to date, andwhat kind of plans it has for the future. I hope that both organizations can develop and grow together.
(Appendix) 2011 CoD Resolution - Outline
・2 statements by the Red Cross:
1. The use of nuclear weapons is generally incompatible with
the ideals stipulated in international humanitarian law.
→ Support for the similar advisory opinion issued by theInternational Court of Justice in 1996
2. If nuclear weapons are used, there is no humanitarian relief
capability to cope with the consequences.
→ Calling attention that there is no party able to take appropriate action in response to a situation that may realisticallyoccur・Requests to the governments, Red Cross and Red
Crescent National Societies
1. Governments are requested not to use nuclear weapons
from a humanitarian perspective, notwithstanding any interpretation of laws related to the use of nuclear weapons.
2. Governments are requested to prohibit the use of nuclear
weapons based on currently existing international obligations and commitments and through legally-binding international consensus, and to hold prompt and decisive negotiations and reach conclusions for their complete elimination.
3. Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies in all states
are requested to use “humanitarian diplomacy” to conduct
awareness activities to communicate to the general public,
scientists, medical practitioners and others the destructive
damage caused by nuclear weapons, the issues related to international humanitarian law that originate in the use of nuclear weapons, and the need for concrete action that willlead to a ban on such weapons and their elimination.
4. Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies in all states
are requested in the same way to use “humanitarian diplomacy” to communicate to all national governments the Red
Cross’ position on the nuclear weapons issue.

Challenges and Outlook for the Red Cross
As a follow-up to the 2011 CoD Resolution, the Red Cross
adopted a new related resolution in 2013. The key point of the
new resolution was that it included an action plan for all constituent members of the Red Cross Movement.
It goes without saying that the Japanese Red Cross Society
is a part of it. For the Japanese Red Cross Society, the existence of these resolutions represents a clear and logical motivation and cause, in addition to the sense of moral mission as
the Red Cross society of a country that has experienced theatomic bombings. In any case, the first thing required is to
more thoroughly communicate these resolutions to the over
60,000 paid employees of our own organization and volunteers. It seems that Japanese Red Cross is not the only one facing this challenge - the Red Cross National Societies in NATOmember states in Europe also have the same issue. They seemto be considering taking joint action as a group, and the movesof such a group may hold the key for the future of humanitarian approach.
While the 2011 and 2013 CoD resolutions are nothing
more than resolutions adopted within the Red Cross, inNovember 2015 the International Conference of Red Cross
and Red Crescent will be held with participation by Geneva
Convention signatory states, and for the Red Cross, this conference will be the next key event that tests the true value of
the CoD resolutions. There are also a number of important in-

ProfileHiroto OYAMA
Born 1972, Kagawa Prefecture. BA in Social Studies, Hitotsubashi
University. MA in International Relations, Lancaster University,
United Kingdom. Employed at Japanese Red Cross Society from1999. After working in the International Relief Division, International
Department and as Regional Officer, IFRC - Geneva, assumed current
post in December 2009.

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