HIROSHIMA PEACE CULTURE FOUNDATIONPEACE CULTURE
Vol. 1 No.80

December 2018 (semiannual)

73rd Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony
On August 6, 2018, the 73rd anniversary of the atomic
bombing, the Peace Memorial Ceremony organized by
the City of Hiroshima was held in the Peace Memorial
Park. Approximately 50,000 people attended the ceremony, including A-bomb survivors (hibakusha) and bereaved families, and prayed for the repose of the soulsof those who lost their lives, and for eternal peace.
The ceremony started at 8am. First Hiroshima Mayor
Kazumi Matsui and two representatives of the bereaved
families dedicated two volumes of the Register of theNames of the Fallen Atomic Bomb Victims to the vault
in the Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims. In the two volumes were inscribed the names of the 5,393 people who
passed away over the past year. This brings the total
number of the fallen recorded in the Register to 314,118
people, their names recorded in a total of 115 volumes.
This was followed by an address by Masanori
Nagata, President of the Hiroshima City Council, andthe dedication of flowers by the representatives of various organizations. At 8:15am, the time that the bomb
was dropped, the bereaved families’ representative
Kenta Uetao and children’s representative Aoi Morishita
rang the Peace Bell, and all participants observed a minute of silent prayer.
Mayor Matsui then read out the Peace Declaration.
In the Declaration, he said “Please listen to what I say
next as if you and your loved ones were there.” He thendescribed the horror inflicted by the atomic bomb that
exploded in the sky above Hiroshima at 8:15am, August
6, 1945, basing his description on the testimony ofA-bomb survivors. The mayor also read out the appealsof two hibakusha who were twenty years old when thebomb was dropped. They appealed to policymakers to
use their reason and insight to work towards the elimination of nuclear weapons, and said that efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons must be continued based on therational actions of the leaders of nations around theworld.
The mayor also stated that the concepts of nuclear
deterrence and the nuclear umbrella flaunt the destructive power of nuclear weapons, and try to maintain theworld order by instilling fear in rival nations. He said
that in terms of guaranteeing long-term global security,
such an approach is extremely unstable and dangerous.
He urged world leaders to execute nuclear disarmamentin good faith, which is an obligation under the Treaty on
the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), andto pursue initiatives to make the Treaty on theProhibition of Nuclear Weapons a stepping stone to a

Mayor Matsui reading out the Peace Declarationworld free of nuclear weapons.
Mayor Matsui also urged the Japanese government
to play its role to lead the global community towards theachievement of a world free of nuclear weapons throughdialogue and cooperation. He also asked that the government expand the black rain areas in addition to enhancing support for the many people suffering both
physically and emotionally from the effects of radiation,
including the hibakusha, whose average age is now over82.
After the Peace Declaration, the children’s representatives Miori Shinkai and Yuhi Yonehiro read out theCommitment to Peace, saying that they have learned
while listening to the testimonies of the hibakusha,
viewing the artifacts from the bombing and touring themonuments in the Peace Memorial Park, and with astrong desire for peace “We fold our desire into paper
cranes and give them to the world. Learning what happened 73 years ago and how the hibakusha feel, what
we learn and feel in our hearts we’ll pass on.”This was followed by speeches, including a speechby Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who pointed out that “Inrecent years, differences in the approaches of various
countries on nuclear disarmament have become evident.” He said that to truly create a world free of nuclear
weapons, we must start from an accurate understandingof the truth of the horror of the atomic bombing, and obtain the cooperation of both nuclear-weapon states andnon-nuclear weapon states. He stated that the Japanese
government would work tenaciously as a mediator between the two and lead the initiatives of the global community. He said that as a concrete initiative, Japan will
make proactive contributions to ensure that the Review
1Conference of the Parties to the NPT to be held in 2020,
the 50th anniversary of the NPT going into force, will bea meaningful conference. He said that Japan would also
promote initiatives where young people hand down stories of the A-bomb experiences of the hibakusha.
Following on from last year, at this year’s ceremony
a message from United Nations Secretary-General
António Guterres was read out in Japanese by Izumi
Nakamitsu, UN Under-Secretary-General and High
Representative for Disarmament Affairs. The SecretaryGeneral said in his message that although there has been
increased momentum over the past few decades toward
the common objective of achieving a world free of nuclear weapons, progress has stalled at the current point
in time. Under such circumstances, the fact that theTreaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was adopted last year showed that there is strong, sound international support for a permanent end to the threat posedby nuclear weapons, and that there is frustration at theslow pace of achieving that goal. He also urged world
leaders to return to the common path toward the complete elimination of nuclear weapons and the creation ofa world that is safe and secure for all people, based on anawareness of the importance of dialogue and diplomacy.
The ceremony was attended by representatives of bereaved families from 40 prefectures in Japan, as well asambassadors and representatives from 85 countries andthe European Union (EU), including the nuclear weapon
states of America, England, France and Russia.
A video of the ceremony was broadcast live on theInternet. The video may be viewed on Hiroshima City’s
YouTube channel: “ThecityofHiroshima” (https://www.
youtube.com/user/ThecityofHiroshima).
The full text of the Peace Declaration read out at theceremony can be found on the Hiroshima City homepage (http://www.city.hiroshima.lg.jp/english/) in The
Atomic Bombing/Peace → Peace Declaration, Protest
Letters, etc. The Peace Declaration has been translated
into nine languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French,
German, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish) and theforeign-language versions can also be found on the site.
(General Affairs Division)

Speech by Mr. Sakuma

served one minute of silent prayer.
This was followed by a speech by Mr. Kunihiko
Sakuma, Chairperson of the Hiroshima Prefectural
Hidankyo. The gathering ended with a video of aNagasaki atomic bombing testimony by Ms. Sumiko
Takano, an atomic bombing witness.
(Peace and International Solidarity Promotion Division)

Mayors for Peace delegation
dispatched for the 2nd Preparatory
Committee for the 2020 NPT
Review Conference
Mayors for Peace (President: Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi
Matsui) dispatched a delegation to the Second Sessionof the Preparatory Committee for the 2020 NPT (Treaty
on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons) Review
Conference held in Geneva, Switzerland in April, 2018.
The delegation called on the representatives of theUnited Nations and national governments to sincerely
exercise their duty to negotiate on nuclear disarmamentin accordance with Article VI of the NPT and to implement the TPNW (Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear
Weapons) in the future, as well as asking for understanding and cooperation in Mayors for Peace activities. The
Youth Forum and A-Bomb Poster Exhibition were also
held.
The delegation also attended the presentation andplanting ceremonies in Paris, France and GuernicaLumo, Spain, of saplings from trees that survived theatomic bombing, where they communicated to participants the message from the A-bombed cities, Hiroshima
and Nagasaki, and shared their desire for peace.

Memorial Gathering for Nagasaki
Atomic Bomb Victims
On August 9, 2018, the date that the atomic bomb was
dropped on Nagasaki, this Foundation holds theMemorial Gathering for Nagasaki Atomic Bomb
Victims, to express condolences from Hiroshima, which
was also hit by the bomb, for the deceased in Nagasaki,
and to renew our vow to achieve peace.
This year’s Memorial Gathering was held in the
Foyer on B1 floor of the east building of the Peace
Memorial Museum. There were around 90 people who
participated, including hibakusha and visitors to theMuseum from Japan and overseas.
The ceremony was opened with a speech by Mr.
Yasuyoshi Komizo, the Chairperson of this Foundation,
followed by live television coverage of the Nagasaki
Peace Memorial Ceremony. At 11:02am, the time thatthe bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, all attendees ob-

April 23
Mr. Adam Bugajski (Poland), the chairperson of the
2 nd Preparatory
Committee for the2020 NPT Review
Conference, in his
opening remarks
encouraged therepresentatives
from national
governments toexpress their opinfor Peace President Matsui andions, listen to each Mayors
Secretary-General Komizo observe theother’s opinions, Preparatory Committee2and think about solutions that unite all countries.
After observing the Committee, the delegation
viewed the second-generation A-bomb surviving gingko
trees that had been presented as saplings by Mayors for
Peace in 2016 and were planted on the grounds of theUnited Nations European Headquarters, noting that they
are growing well.
After this, Mayor Matsui attended a luncheon with
Mr. Alex Mejia, the Manager of UNITAR’s (United
N a t i o n s I n s t i t u t e f o r Tr a i n i n g a n d R e s e a r c h )Decentralized Cooperation Programme, where he explained how Mayors for Peace are cooperating in theGreen Legacy Hiroshima Initiative, which the UNITAR
Hiroshima office is also involved in, to distribute atomic
bomb survivor tree seeds and saplings to member cities
in Japan and overseas.
Mayor Matsui also met with Mayor Rémy Pagani of
Geneva, which is a Mayors for Peace member city, accompanied by Tomihisa Taue, Vice-President of Mayors
for Peace and Mayor of Nagasaki. They made a request
for Geneva to become a leader city for Switzerland, andasked Mayor Pagani to promote activities to expand
Mayors for Peace membership and build connections
with influential cities in Switzerland.
Mayor Pagani said that he will support the Mayors
for Peace activities as he places importance on thefriendly ties with the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
This was followed by a meeting with Mr. Gilles
Carbonnier, the Vice-President of the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). At the meeting it
was confirmed that Mayors for Peace and the ICRC are
partners working towards the same goal of abolishing
nuclear weapons for Human Security, and that the twoorganizations with continue to cooperate with one another in the future.

High school students handing the petition to Ambassador Whyte

United Nations in Geneva (and former President of theUnited Nations Conference to Negotiate a LegallyBinding Instrument to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons), together with eight high school students from Hiroshima
and Okinawa cooperating in Mayors for Peace activities by participating in the “No nuclear weapons from
Hiroshima / petition campaign”. When the high school
students handed Ambassador Whyte a petition calling
for the prompt conclusion of the Treaty on theProhibition of Nuclear Weapons, the ambassador gavethe students a heartfelt message of encouragement.
Following on from the handing over of the petition,
Mayor Matsui had a discussion with the ambassador together with Mayor Taue, where he stated that he would
like to properly communicate the sincere wish of the
hibakusha “No one shall ever suffer again as we have.”
They next had a meeting with United States Assistant
Secretary of State for International Security and Nuclear
Nonproliferation Dr. Christopher Ford. In response to
the Mayors for Peace approach that we should pursue
nuclear disarmament by promoting dialogue, including
with nuclear-weapon states, Dr. Ford stated that hewould like to pursue nuclear disarmament through effective and constructive dialogue with all nations.

April 24First was a meeting with Mr. Bugajski, the chairperson of the Preparatory Committee.
Mr. Bugajski
expressed his
opinion that all
nations and theirpeoples, though
they may havediffering positions, must work
together to communicate theMr. Bugajski, chairperson of the Preparatory
dangers of pos- Committee, receiving a thousand paper cranes
sessing and using nuclear weapons, and make progress towards theobjectives stipulated in the NPT.
Mayor Matsui stated that he would like to ask nuclear-weapon states as well as the nations under the nuclear
umbrella to take measures that align with the wishes of
those in the cities hit by nuclear bombs.
Mayors for Peace Vice-President Taue said that hewould like the committee attendees to see the Mayors
for Peace Atomic Bombing poster exhibition, being heldat the committee venue, prior to the Preparatory
Committee, so that they can see the reality of the damage from the bombing.
After this, they visited Elayne Whyte Goméz,
Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Costa Rica to theApril 25
Mayor Matsui and Mayor Taue were the final speakers at the NGO session of the Preparatory Committee.
Mayor Matsui stated that we must work towards comprehensive, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization,
and appealed for the global community to pursue cooperative security through rational dialogue. Mayor Taue
asked the leaders of all nations to visit the cities affectedby the atomic bombs so that they can understand the actual damage done by the bombings, and to pursue security policies that are not dependent on nuclear
deterrence.
This was followed by a meeting with Ambassador
Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger, Permanent Representativeof Austria to the United Nations and Other International
Organizations in Geneva. Mayor Matsui said that hewould like to expand Mayors for Peace membershipeven in nuclear-weapon states, stating that if cities supporting the nation express their agreement with the
TPNW, it would become possible to change the mindset
of policymakers.
Mayor Matsui then attended the reception of a workshop on nuclear weapons held by the ICRC. In front of
an audience of people involved in the ICRC, he explained the Mayors for Peace activities, and said that
Mayors for Peace would like to continue to work with3

the ICRC and other peace-related international organizations in the future.

future.
After this,Mayor Matsui
and Mr. Komizo
travelled to
Guernica-Lumo
City, Spain, which
was the site ofindiscriminate
bombing in 1937
during the
Spanish Civil Deputy Mayor Peninou receiving the sapling of an
atomic bomb survivor treeWar. After visiting the Peace Museum and listening to the experience ofa person who is involved in activities to give testimoniesof the Guernica bombings, they attended a dinner with
Guernica-Lumo’s Deputy Mayor Maria Uribe and others, and were welcomed as visitors from Hiroshima, acity that shares with Guernica the same desire for peace.

April 26
The Mayors for Peace Youth Forum was held as aside event of the Preparatory Committee. At this event,the high school students from Hiroshima and Okinawa,
as well as a youth group from Nagasaki and young people from Granollers City, Spain, and other Mayors for
Peace member cities, gave presentations on their respective activities and thoughts about peace, and held discussions.
After the Forum, the 10th Mayors for Peace Executive
Conference was held. Representatives of ten executive
cities attended the conference, which was chaired by
Mayors for Peace Secretary-General Yasuyoshi Komizo(chairperson of this Foundation). The attendees discussed measures to implement the Mayors for Peace action plan that was developed in 2017. They held active
discussions on the enhancement of activities and expansion of membership, centered on the leader cities.
Next was a dinner held by Geneva City, which therepresentatives of executive cities also attended, and discussions were held on future Mayors for Peace activities
in Switzerland.

April 29
Mayor Matsui attended a welcome event hosted by
the mayor of Guernica-Lumo City, Jose María Gorroño.
Mayor Matsui said that both cities have experienced thesame horror of being subject to indiscriminate attacks ontheir people, and that he would like to work together inthe future, sharing the same desire for perpetual world
peace.
After this, Mayor Gorroño led a tour of old buildings
and air raid shelters that escaped the bombings, and theTree of Guernika which is a symbol of hope and the future just like Hiroshima’s atomic bomb survivor trees.
At the welcome event held after this, which was
hosted by Ana Otadui, the chairperson of the provincial
assembly of the province of Biscay, where GuernicaLumo is located, Ms. Otadui gave a heart-warming
speech, saying that we should continue to pay our respect to and remember those who lost their lives, as our
two cities take the first step together towards peace.
The planting ceremony of the sapling of an atomic
bomb survivor tree was held in the European park thatspreads out behind the assembly hall. Josep Mayoral,
the mayor of Granollers City, also attended. Granollers
is the Vice-President city in Spain, which provided thesapling. The ceremony was a good opportunity for connection between Mayors for Peace members.

April 23 - 26
The Mayors for Peace Atomic Bombing Poster
Exhibition was held at the Headquarters of the United
Nations in Europe, which was the venue of the
Preparatory Committee. The aim of the exhibition was
to further understanding about the reality of the atomic
bombing among the committee participants.
April 27
Mayor Matsui and Mr. Komizo traveled to Paris, andparticipated in a lunch held by Masato Kitera, Japan’sambassador to France. The ambassador said that he observed the atomic bombing exhibition held at a publicarchive on the outskirts of Paris in 2017, and said that
Hiroshima is definitely a place that everyone should visit at least once.
This was followed by a meeting with Michel Cibot,
who is the Secretary-general of the Association
Francaise des Communes Departements et Regions pourla Paix (AFCDRP), and his wife Miho Cibot, who is a
Hiroshima peace ambassador. Mrs. Cibot said that it isvery meaningful to hold a presentation ceremony of asapling of an atomic bomb survivor tree in France’s capital Paris, at this time when France is trying to develop
and enhance its nuclear arsenal.
April 28
Prior to the planting ceremony of the sapling of an
atomic bomb survivor tree, Mayor Matsui met with the
deputy mayor of Paris, Mao Peninou. He said that hehopes that by having the sapling looked after and grownin Paris, many people will develop a wish to achieve
peace, which will then lead to a heightening of public
opinion supporting the abolition of nuclear weapons.
At the presentation ceremony of the sapling of theatomic bomb survivor tree, Deputy Mayor Peninou said
that he sees the gingko sapling as the symbol of the longcooperative relationship between the two cities, and that
he wants to continue to conduct activities together in the

Planting ceremony of a sapling of an atomic bomb survivor tree in
Guernica-Lumo City

Looking back over the trip
When attending the Preparatory Committee in4Geneva this time, there were opportunities to meet with
the Committee chairperson Mr. Bugajski, as well as ambassadors from countries that support the TPNW such as
Austria and Costa Rica, and a government representative from the United States, which is a nuclear-weapon
state. We were able to emphasize the importance of firstly promoting the NPT, then implementing initiatives thathave as their ultimate aim the TPNW, respecting rational
dialogue and aiming to achieve the objective that iscommon to all nations―a world free of nuclear weapons.
Mayors for Peace will work on creating an environment in civic society that allows policymakers to exercise leadership from a long-term perspective to resolve
security issues. We asked for cooperation so that we canfurther increase our membership even among nuclearweapon states and other nations under the nuclear umbrella.
Following on from activities in Geneva, there werealso presentation and planting ceremonies of saplings ofatomic bomb survivor trees in Paris, France andGuernica-Lumo, Spain, brought about through the support of neighboring executive cities. As the saplings
grow, we hope that the desire for perpetual world peace
and the abolition of nuclear weapons will also take root
firmly in the hearts of the citizens of both cities. We
would like to thank both cities for their sincere efforts,
and continue in the future to maintain the cooperative
relationships that were developed during this visit.
(Peace and International Solidarity Promotion Division)

Lecture at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School

time as the mayor of next year’s host city; and others.
This was followed by a lecture to around one hundred high school students studying world history at
Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, a public school in
Cambridge. In the lecture Mayor Matsui spoke about thereality of the atomic bombing and the desire of the hibakusha that “no one else should ever suffer as we have.”
He also expressed his hope that the young people whowill lead the next generation go beyond differences ofrace, religion and language to have repeated dialogue focused on the future, and walk together on the path toachieving a world that is free of nuclear weapons. In the
Q&A session there were many questions. In response,
Mayor Matsui spoke about deepening mutual understanding through dialogue, the importance of respecting
diversity, and the role of civic society, not only in properly selecting politicians who pursue global sustainable
development, but also in working to create an environment that supports such politicians.
Later, at a dinner hosted by Rokuichiro Michii, theJapanese Consul-General in Boston, Mayor Matsui reported on the lecture given at the high school, and they
discussed the differences in the education systems in the
United States and Japan. Mayor Matsui also asked forsupport in establishing the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace
Studies Course at many universities in Boston City.

Visit to United States to attend
86th Annual Meeting of the UnitedStates Conference of Mayors
Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui, the President ofMayors for Peace, and Yasuyoshi Komizo, SecretaryGeneral of Mayors for Peace (and Chairperson of thisFoundation), attended the 86th Annual Meeting of theUnited States Conference of Mayors (USCM) held in
Boston City, State of Massachusetts, in June 2018. With
the aim of expanding municipal and civic-level activities for the achievement of perpetual world peace, at theconference they asked for understanding and support inMayors for Peace activities, and called for cities to become members of Mayors for Peace.
They also gave lectures at a public school in
Cambridge City, Massachusetts, and the Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace in Washington,
D.C., communicating the reality of the atomic bombing
and the earnest desire of the hibakusha, and sharing theirthoughts about peace.

June 9At the opening of the second day of the Annual
Meeting of the USCM, Marty Walsh, the mayor of thehost city Boston, touched upon the fact that he himself
is the son of immigrants, and said that in the current immigration policy in the United States, the role of mayors
to interact with people of diverse backgrounds is becoming more and more important. Stephen Benjamin, themayor of Columbia City in South Carolina, and president of the USCM, said that he would like to improve
the lives of all citizens, by alleviating air pollution, providing safe school environments and education, and restoring people’s dignity through measures to tackle
poverty.
Mayor Matsui explained the Mayors for Peace activities to the Mayor of Beverly Hills, California, and others who also attending the evening event, and requested
that they become members.

June 8After attending the Annual Meeting of the USCM
(first day), Mayor Matsui met with Franklin Cownie,
mayor of Des Moines City, Iowa, a leader city in the US
and Mayors for Peace Vice-President city; Kirk
Caldwell, mayor of Honolulu City, Hawaii, which is oneof Hiroshima City’s sister cities and participating thisJune 10On the third day of the Annual Meeting of the5

USCM, Mayor Matsui attended the standing committee
on international affairs, where there was a discussion
about submitting to the plenary session the resolution
proposed by the Mayor of Des Moines to support the activities of Mayors for Peace for the abolition of nuclear
weapons. It was unanimously decided to submit the resolution to the plenary session, and it was adopted at theplenary session with joint proposals from twenty-six
mayors, the largest number to date.
At the plenary session, Mayor Matsui was introduced by the mayor of Honolulu, received a standing
ovation as he went to the stage, and gave a speech infront of around 300 people. In his speech, he made a request for support, saying “the common mission of all
mayors is to ensure the safety and peaceful lives of our
citizens. To achieve that, we are working together toward two key objectives: ‘Realization of a world without nuclear weapons’ and ‘Realization of safe andresilient cities’, which, we believe, will lead us to ourultimate goal,
lasting world
peace. We would
like your cities
in the UnitedStates to alsojoin in the proactive activities
by our member
cities, led by theleader city Des Speech at the Annual Meeting of the UnitedStates Conference of Mayors
Moines.”After his speech, a number of mayors came to express their support. President Matsui asked those mayors in attendance who have not joined Mayors for Peace
to join, and received favorable responses.

long-term solution, one that not only serves one country’s own interest but all humanity.”
After the lecture there was a panel discussion with
Carnegie senior research fellow James L. Schoff, who
has experience in international security and arms control
at the US Department of Defense and State Department,
and research fellow Jon Wolfsthal, as well as Mr.
Komizo. There were many questions and commentsfrom the audience.
Following this was a meeting with ThomasCountryman, the chair of the Washington thinktank
Arms Control Association, where they discussed the
US-North Korea summit and Japan-US relations.
Mayor Matsui also met with US senator Ed Markey
in the federal government building, and asked for support to shape public opinion in the United States for the
prompt issue of Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear
Weapons and the abolition of nuclear weapons, as wellas support to expand the membership of Mayors for
Peace.
At a dinner hosted by Kazutoshi Aikawa, Deputy
Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Japan to the US,
Mayor Matsui made a request for support, saying that
Mayors for Peace will continue to move forward sincerely and firmly as a non-partisan organization with thesupport of the people, working towards the abolishmentof nuclear weapons, which threaten the safe and secure
lives of citizens.
Looking back on the trip
During this visit to the United States, Mayor Matsui
met with people from various different positions in thisnuclear superpower, including many young people,
mayors, researchers at thinktanks who have served ingovernment in areas such as arms control, nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, and international security,
peace NGOs, currently serving senators, and more. In
these meetings he was able to directly communicate thereality of the atomic bombing and the wishes of the
hibakusha. At the same time, Mayor Matsui explained
the Mayors for Peace activities and asked people towork together with Mayors for Peace. There is a growing feeling amongst the public, even in the UnitedStates, that nuclear disarmament is something that all
nuclear weapon states should execute, and it will be important for civic society to work together to create anenvironment that supports policymakers. To pursue that
aim, we would like to maintain our ties with the people
met during this trip, and expand the Mayors for Peace
activities.
(Peace and International Solidarity Promotion Division)

June 11
Mayor Matsui travelled to Washington, D.C., where
he gave a lecture in front of around 50 people, including
peace NGOs, the mass media and university students, at
the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace thathas led extensive outreach efforts in diverse fields suchas nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. In his lecture, as the mayor of one of the cities hit by the atomic
bomb, hecommunicate d t h e e a rnest wish of
the hibakusha
for peace, andalso stated:“Considering
current international tensions, we are
Lecture at the Carnegie Endowment for Internafaced withtional Peacethe situationin which nobody can predict how the US-North Korea
Summit will affect Northeast Asia or how the uncertain
future of the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of
Action) will affect the Middle East. What is most needed now is for world leaders to engage in earnest dialogue regardless of their political and ideologicalpositions. They should seek a cooperative security policy without reliance on nuclear deterrence as a better

Support for universities offering
Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Study
Course
The cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are involved in
the establishment and promotion of Hiroshima-Nagasaki
Peace Study Courses, which aim to academically andsystematically organize the meaning of the A-bomb survivors’ desire for world peace and the abolition of nuclear weapons, so that they are communicated to younger
generations as a universal academic discipline.
6This Foundation provided support for the peace studies programs below held in Hiroshima from March toJune 2018 by the following three universities.

tified in 2016. The group visited the Peace Memorial
Museum, were given a tour of the monuments in Peace
Memorial Park by a peace volunteer, listened to an
atomic bombing testimony by Ms. Ogura, and attended
a recital of atomic bombing testimonies, andthrough these
activities learned
about the truthof the atomic
bombing.

International Christian University (ICU)
For nine days from March 7, eight international students majoring in peace studies in masters programs at
ICU, who were selected by the US-based RotaryFoundation,
participatedin a peace
study tour together with
two teachers.
This visit
marked thesixteenthtime that international
In front of the Peace Memorial Museum
students at
ICU had participated in this activity.
The group learned about the reality of the atomic
bombing through tours of Peace Memorial Park and thePeace Memorial Museum, by listening to an atomic
bombing testimony by Ms. Keiko Ogura, and by visiting
the Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims.
They also listened to talks by Ms. Tomoko Watanabe,
Executive Director of the NGO ANT-Hiroshima andProfessor Masae Yuasa of Hiroshima City University,and visited the Hiroshima Office of the United Nations
Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), furthering their understanding of nuclear weapons and perpetual world peace.

Recital of atomic bombing testimonies(Peace and International Solidarity Promotion Division)

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

New Arrivals Exhibit
Location: P eace Memorial Museum, East Building,
1st floor, Temporary Exhibition Room
Period: March 30, 2018-March 1, 2019
The Peace Memorial Museum collects and preserves avariety of materials related to the A-bombing that havebeen kept by atomic bomb survivors and their families,
as important materials that help communicate the realityof the atomic bombing. In fiscal year 2016, there were
638 new donations from 54 people. A portion of thesearticles are on display.
As 73 years have now passed since the end of thewar, it is becoming
more and more difficult to collect detailed
information regarding
atomic bombing artifacts and items. The
Museum will continue
to communicate in the
future the various
damage caused by theatomic bombing, withthe aim of achieving
the abolition of nuclear weapons. The
Museum appreciatesof death (donated by Mr.
donations of atomic Notification
Yoshinori Kuniwake)bombing artifacts.
“This is the notification of death ofCarleton College (the United States)
On April 18 and 20, a peace study tour was conducted by eighteen students and two teachers from Carleton
College. This was the College’s third peace study tour.
After learning about the reality of the atomic bombing
through tours of Peace Memorial Park and the Peace
Memorial Museum and by listening to an atomic bombing testimony by Ms. Ogura, the group listened to a talkby Professor Robert Jacobs of Hiroshima City
University’s Hiroshima Peace Institute, and learned
about the history of the develop of nuclear weapons up
to the present day.

four family members.”(Peace Memorial Museum Curatorial Division)

Section introducing artifacts housed in the Museum“I want to see my mother”
With Ms. Keiko Ogura

Location: P eace Memorial Museum, East Building,
1st floor, Special Exhibition Room
Period: Around one year from July 12, 2018

Indiana University – Purdue University
Indianapolis (IUPUI) (the United States)
On June 9 and 10, eleven students and two teachers
from IUPUI conducted their first peace study tour since
their Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Study Course was cer-In the section introducing artifacts housed in theMuseum, a number of artifacts have been selected fromthe approximately 20,000 items at the Museum, and dis7

played according to different themes.
On August 6, 1945, a single atomic bomb turned thecity of Hiroshima to ruins in an instant. Many people
died painful deaths after being burned and exposed tohuge amounts of radiation. Parents left their beloved
children behind and passed away worrying about theirchildren and their children’s future. The children left behind lost the pillars of support that they could depend
upon, left in confusion and overwhelmed with sadness.
Those children who survived are now older thantheir parents were when they died. Nonetheless, even
now after time has passed, the memory of their parents
is imprinted in the hearts of those children, together witha deep sense of loss.
In this exhibition are displayed mainly objects
owned by mothers, together with the words of their bereaved family members.
“I heard that while mymother was lying down,
she would not let go of myyounger sister Makiko, tothe extent that the festering wounds from the burns
that they both suffered got
s t u c k t o g e t h e r. A n d I
heard that until the moment she died she wascrying ‘Take a photo! (toleave behind)’ for me,
who could not see her ever again because I had
been evacuated to thecountryside.”(as told by the second son
Yasuyuki)

Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital, called “an oasis amongst the ashes”(Photo: Mr. Syunkichi Kikuchi / Provided by Ms. Harumi Tago)patients at the time. The exhibition also includes photographs and videos of patients lying down and receiving
treatment, and paintings created by hibakusha of thewounded surging in front of the hospital and people dying as they waiting for treatment.
The exhibit from Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital titled “Wall with scars of glass shards” that was on display in the East Building prior to renovations has been
moved to the Foyer. After the special exhibition is overit will be on display as part of the permanent exhibition.
(Peace Memorial Museum Curatorial Division)

Exhibition of Reproductions of Original Drawings

Manga “Town of Evening Calm”
Location: P eace Memorial Museum, East Building,B1 floor, Conference Room (2) and Foyer
Period: July 20, 2018-end March 2019 (planned)

Mother Toshiko (aged 34 at timeof death) with eldest daughter
Makiko (aged 7 at the time)(Peace Memorial Museum Curatorial Division)
To mark the fifteenth anniversary of the publication of
the manga “Town of Evening Calm”, an exhibition of
Reproductions of original drawings from the manga is
now open on floor B1 of the East Building of theHiroshima Peace Memorial Museum from September
12, 2018 to the end of February, 2019.
“Town of Evening Calm” was published in theWEEKLY Action Manga magazine in September 2003.
The manga’s author, Fumiyo Kouno, says “I was born inand grew up in Hiroshima, but I am neither a hibakusha
nor the child of a hibakusha. I do not even have any relatives who can talk about the bombing.” Kouno had
tried to distance herself from the bombing of Hiroshima,
but she confronted the bombing and researched it ingreat detail. As a result, she produced a work that sensitively depicts
young hibakusha who still
suffered fromthe aftereffects
ten years after
the bomb was
dropped. This
manga wasScene from the exhibition
widely praised
both in Japanand overseas, and has currently been translated into
English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Korean
and Chinese (traditional Chinese), providing an opportu-

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Special exhibition“Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital”
Location: P eace Memorial Museum, East Building,B1 floor, Conference Room (2) and Foyer
Period: July 20, 2018-end March 2019 (planned)
This exhibition includes materials and artifacts that depict the rescue efforts conducted by Hiroshima Red
Cross Hospital amidst the disastrous conditions and confusion after the dropping of the atomic bomb. They
teach us of the tragedy of the damage from the bombing,the horror of war, and make us think about how precious
life is.
Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital was one of the few
medical institutions that escaped collapse and fires in
Hiroshima City, which suffered such destructive damage
when the bomb was dropped. For this reason, the hospital was inundated with wounded people immediately after the bombing. The doctors and nurses who survived
worked day and night to help the wounded, even amidst
broken facilities and equipment and dwindling suppliesof medication and treatment materials.
This exhibition includes actual objects belonging toHiroshima Red Cross Hospital & Atomic-bomb
Survivors Hospital, such as chairs that show signs of thebomb’s heat wave and hospital gowns that were worn by
8

nity for people all over the world to gain a greater understanding of the damage from the atomic bombing.
At the exhibition, there are 23 panel displays of detailed reproductions of the original drawings. There isalso a display booth in the Library, which was exhibiting
original drawings by hibakusha Shigeo Moritomi depicting the town of Hiroshima before the bombing, titled“Vanished Neighborhood, Retracing Memories”. Thesedrawings were on display until November 26, 2018.
Kouno made reference to Moritomi’s fine pencil drawings as she worked on her manga, and the students visiting the museum on school excursions stared at the
pictures with great interest, saying how surprised they
were that the Peace Memerial Park before the bombing
was such a bustling shopping district.
(Peace Memorial Museum Curatorial Division)bomb witnesses from this Foundation to create picturesof the atomic bombing that communicate the situation at
the time, depicting scenes from the bombing that remainin the memories of the atomic bomb witnesses.
This time, eight witnesses and ten students completed ten paintings that had been working on since 2017.
At the completion ceremony held at Motomachi
High School gallery on July 2, 2018, eight atomic bomb
witnesses attended, together with the students who created the paintings and other students in the Creative
Expression Course, and others from this Foundation andMotomachi High School.
A student who depicted the scene of treatment ofskin rashes said “In the year that I spent creating thispicture, I felt once again the horror of the atomic bomb,from the wounds that remain even today, more than 70
years after the bombing.” Another student who painted ascene of people fleeing while picking their way amongpeople who were on the brink of death shared herthoughts on the difficulty of creating the work in the gallery talk, saying “I continued to search for how I should
express and how I should paint scenes that I had neverseen or even imagined before, scenes that make youwant to turn away. I listened to the stories, and I realizedthat just listening was not enough－I had to put myself
in a position to communicate the same thing myself. It is
not just receiving the information－we have to communicate it to the next generation.”
The paintings of the atomic bombing that were completed this time will be used to ensure that people have a
deeper understanding of the A-bomb experience. The
paintings will also be loaned out and offered as data images, to help pass on the reality of the damage from thebombing to future generations.
(Peace Memorial Museum Outreach Division)

Paintings of the Atomic Bombing
Complete―High school students paint pictures of the A-bomb experience―

Since 2007, with support from Hiroshima Municipal
Motomachi High School, this Foundation has been involved in the creation of paintings of the atomic bombing. The high school students work together with atomic

Sister and Friendship Day
Commemorative Events―Introducing sister and friendship cities to the citizens―

Treating skin rashes
Drawn by Mei Fujiwara (Creative Expression Course)
and Sadae Kasaoka (A-bomb Witness for this Foundation)

Hiroshima City has established Sister and Friendship
City Days for each of the six overseas sister and friendship cities, and holds commemorative events each year.
The MCs for the events were the Hiroshima Messengers
selected through a public selection process.
Daegu Day
The Daegu Day commemorative event was held atthe Hiroshima Flower Festival venue from May 3-5,
2018.
For the event this year, a delegation from Daegu
Metropolitan City came, led by Daegu City Mayor
Kwon Young-jin, as well as the members of the Daegu
City Colorful Chorus Choir, which is made up of Daegu
City employees. Altogether there were around fifty visitors from the city. They participated in the commemorative stage event and music events held in Hiroshima
City, and held an exhibition introducing Daegu
Metropolitan City at the Daegu/ Korea madan (square).
At the commemorative ceremony on the 3rd, there
were speeches by the head of the Daegu Day Executive
Committee, the mayor of Hiroshima, the Mayor of

Fleeing while picking their way among people
on the brink of death
Drawn by Rina Yamado (Creative Expression
Course) and Hiroshi Harada (A-bomb Witness forthis Foundation)9resentative of the adult group, Koji Tokuhara, gave his
report, describing the enthusiastic welcome the group
received from the Friendship Circle Hanover-Hiroshima,
the concert of Japanese music held at Saint Martin’s
Church, the courtesy visit to the mayor of Hanover, thecommemorative tree-planting and party, and the visit to
the Herrenhausen Gardens and other locations. He also
touched upon the fact that he met up again with his
friend from when he did a homestay in Hanover many
years ago, for the first time in 45 years, which forms partof the history of exchange between the two cities. Next
was a presentation by the youth representative, Hayato
Shinohara. He spoke about participants meeting with
their host family, exchange activities through athletics
and German cooking, and their visit to the soccer stadium. He closed
by saying thatduring the shortstay he felt thatthe young participants showedsignificant
growth, and said
that he would
like to continue
with exchange Hayato Shinohara, giving the youth exchange
activities in the presentation
future.
Next, there was part 1 of the German music concert,with a performance of mainly pieces connected toGermany. There were two performers, Masaki Ueno on
the violin, and Akiko Kataoka on the flute accompaniedby Miho Okada on the piano.
This was followed by a presentation by theHiroshima Peace Messengers Daniel Rabe and Kana
Shirai. They spoke about lifestyle differences between
Hanover and Japan, taught the audience how to say thecolors of the German flag (black, red and gold) in
German, and held a simple quiz about Hanover.
In part 2 of the German music concert, there were
performances by two groups: Yoshihiko Ueda on theoboe and Shinri Aratani on the piano; and Takashi Okita
on the viola and Chiharu Okita on the piano. The concert ended with the audience joining in a rendition of“The Wild Rose”.
There were around 270 visitors to the event, andthrough the varied program they deepened their affinity
for Germany and Hanover while enjoying themselves atthe same time.

Members of the Daegu Metropolitan City Colorful Chorus Choir(Carnation Stage)

Daegu Metropolitan City, and the Consul-General of the
Republic of Korea Consulate-General in Hiroshima. The
speeches were followed by a wonderful singing performance from the Colorful Chorus choir, entrancing theaudience of around 800 people. The Colorful Chorus also performed at the Special Concert Across Generations
and Borders held at Elizabeth University of Music on
the 4th, with their wonderful singing voices.
Over the three days, at the Daegu/Korea madan in
addition to the section introducing Daegu Metropolitan
City there was also a section where people could try on
Korean clothes and a section selling home-style Korean
food. All sections were bustling with families, young
women and others, and visitors were able to experience
Korean culture.
During the event period there were just over 6,000
visitors, and it was a great success.
Hanover Day
The Hanover Day commemorative event was heldon May 27, 2018, at Hiroshima City International
House.
At the section for tasting of German food and drinks,
visitors experienced the Ueda Soko-ryu Japanese tea
ceremony (which has connections with Hanover), andtried authentic German sausages and German bread, as
well as baum kuchen cake. There was also a lutsche lage
session, where two different types of alcohol are poured
into two different glasses and then drunk in one gulp.
There was a display about Germany and Hanover,which included photos depicting the 50-year history of
exchange activities between Hiroshima City andHanover City and photos from visits to Hanover by delegations from Hiroshima, and explanations of exchange
activities given by young people who have visited
Hanover City. There was also a display of exchange activities conducted through the Ueda Soko-ryu chanoyu(Japanese tea ceremony), a section where visitors could
make paper models of Hanover trains, a display andreadings of German picture books, an easy German writing lesson, and a display of the 7-seater “conference bicycle” from Hanover. All sections were bustling withpeople, both adults and children.
A commemorative ceremony was held in the hall,with speeches from the event organizers, and a video
message from the mayor of Hanover.
Next, the Hiroshima-Hannover Partnership Society,which this year celebrates the 50th anniversary of youth
exchange activities, gave a report on the history of youth
exchange and their visit to Hanover City. First, the rep-

20th anniversary of sister city agreement

Montreal Day
On June 4, 2018, the Montreal Day commemorative
event was held at JMS Aster Plaza large hall.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the sister city
agreement between the two cities. It was a special event
this time with around fifty guests, including the Mayorof Montreal Valérie Plante and the delegation ofMontreal; the famous Canadian pianist Charles RichardHamelin, who played in the memorial performance;
Arata Urawa, a member of the acrobatic performancegroup Cirque Eloize that is based in Montreal City; andthe business exchange delegation made up of membersof the Montreal City Chamber of Commerce and othercompany representatives from Montreal.
10and my older brother (8) was not at home, attending national elementary school. My mother (34), grandfather(65) and younger brother (4) were in the main house,
and I (6) was in the toilet in the separate building, when
I noticed the sound of an airplane and looked up at thesky from the window. However, I could not see any
plane and pulled my head in. It was at that moment that
there was the sound of a huge explosion and everythingaround me went pitch black. At the same time, the dirt
wall of the toilet crumbled, and the next thing I knew I
was completely buried in dirt, which weighed heavily
on top of me. Without thinking, I yelled “Mum, helpme!” My mother heard me and pulled me out. The second floor of the house had been blown away in an instant by the horrendous blast, but miraculously mymother, grandfather and younger brother were in between the pillars and survived.
We could not stay in the house, as we did not know
when another bomb might be dropped. My grandfather
could not walk well, so he told my mother to hurry, saying “Don’t worry about me, just get away quickly.” My
mother told him “We’ll definitely be back later,” and assoon as she took my younger brother and I outside, theentrance to the house collapsed noisily.
Following the evacuation drill, we tried to flee to thesuburbs. The streets were filled with people fleeing,
walking like sleepwalkers. After about thirty minutes theso-called “black rain” started to fall, and we ran into a
tomato field on the side of the road to escape it. I will
never forget the eerie sight of the black drops falling off
the bright red ripe tomatoes.

At the commemorative ceremony,
there were speeches
by the head of the
Executive Committee
Scott McKeeman,
Hiroshima Mayor
Kazumi Matsui, and
the President of theHiroshima Municipal
Assembly Masanori Presentation of the designation ofNagata. After the honorary citizen of Hiroshima City to
Mayor Valérie Plantespeeches, Mayor
Plante was designated as an honorary citizen of
Hiroshima City, and she gave a speech.
This was followed by a presentation about Montreal
City by the Hiroshima Messengers Hiroyo Osaki andTomoko Kurahashi. They used images to give a clear
explanation of Montreal’s history, culture and tourism,
and the presentation was extremely well-received not
only by the audience but also by those from Montreal.
At the commemorative performance, the audience
was enthralled by the wonderful piano performance by
Mr. Hamelin and Mr. Urawa’s impressive juggling performance.
Next was a fun lucky draw with prizes including aplane ticket for a Narita-Montreal direct flight for one
couple (provided by Air Canada), and a stone sculpture
by Canadian indigenous people for one person (provided by the Japan office of the Quebec Provincial government). All participants were very excited by the lucky
draw.
There was also a very popular section in the hall lobby on the day displaying and selling specialty goods
such as maple syrup, and it had many visitors.
There were around 700 visitors, and through thisevent they came to deepen their understanding ofMontreal and Canada.
(International Relations & Cooperation Division)

Young mother piggybacking her child
We continued walking until evening, then took abreak in the yard of a farmhouse. We received white riceballs being given out to people there, and I have neverbeen so happy.
There was a young mother who came there carrying
her baby, already dead, on her back. She asked everyone

Memoir of the A-bombing“Envisioning Peace”
by Hiroko Kishida
Atomic Bombing Witness
for this Foundation

In Hiroshima, the place it was said that no vegetation
would grow for 75 years because of the atomic bombing, when I think about the sorrow over every single life
lost, it makes me feel even more deeply that my mission, as one who survived and is still living, is to communicate the A-bomb experience to younger
generations.
“We’ll definitely be back later”
On the morning of August 6, 1945, it was a sunny
day in Hiroshima. My home was a two-story wooden
house located 1.5km from the hypocenter. My father(36) had been conscripted to the army and sent to China,“Young mother carrying her dead child on her back”
Created by: Kana Tsumura, Hiroko Kishida11

imploringly “Give some food to my child too,” but everyone was so preoccupied with their own survival,
there was nothing that could be done. The image of thatmother and child were deeply engraved into my memory.
We continued to walk night and day, and reached thehome of a friend of my mother’s. From the next day, mymother went out to search for my grandfather and older
brother. Our home was razed to the ground, my grandfather turned to ash. He is still to this day “missing”. One
week later, we found my older brother, but he had severe burns and suffered for a long time.

Multilingual site for disaster information
When the torrential rain disaster occurred in July 2018,
this Foundation set up a multilingual site to provide information related to the disaster to foreign residents ofHiroshima. Information has been provided via theInternational Exchange and Cooperation Division’s
homepage since July 9.
We worked together with the City of Hiroshima to
select the information to be provided through the site,and had the information translated by disaster interpretervolunteers registered with the City and interpreting consultants who work with this Foundation.
Recovery activities are still continuing even now in
Hiroshima City and surrounding areas. We aim to continue to provide support, to alleviate the anxiety andconcerns about daily living that foreign residents who
were affected by the disaster are experiencing.

My husband, an atomic bomb orphan
My husband was 6 years old when the bomb was
dropped, and had been evacuated and was living awayfrom his parents. Because of that he escaped the bombing. However, his parents and younger brother, whowere in the city at the time, lost their lives. In an instant
he became an atomic bomb orphan, and after that lived
at the homes of different relatives. When he got older heworked at a securities company, but he had a turbulent
attitude towards life, probably because he was trying to
make up for the loneliness that he had put up with during his childhood. However, he changed greatly when hecame into contact with Buddhism, and he was able toapply himself to his work as well as finding happiness ina lifestyle where he helped people around him whoneeded help. He contracted kidney disease at the age ofthirty and passed away when he was fifty.

【URL】http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/ircd/【Content】
・Lifeline information on water, gas and electricity supply
・JR, bus and other public transport information
・Disaster-related information issued by the City ofHiroshima (information on disruption and recovery ofwater supply, victims’ certificates; registering for support systems for people affected and monetary donations; temporary closure of branches of government
offices, and more)【Languages】Eight languages (Japanese, English,
Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog,
Korean)【Access numbers】(in the 15 days from July 9-23)
Total access numbers: 3,348. Daily average: around220.
* The top number of hits was on July 15, with 448 hits
to the Vietnamese language service.
(International Relations & Cooperate Division)

My role as atomic bombing witness
When I talk about the lives of my husband and mymother, and the love that they both gave to me, andmore than anything, when I earnestly talk about thewishes of those who lost their lives in the atomic bombing longing for peace, I feel like I am at one with thoselistening to me－the school children on their school trip
who listen to my stories, the foreign visitors who wipeaway tears as they share their thoughts with me. These
encounters give me encouragement and courage.
We must not forget the wishes of those who had theirlives taken away, full of regret. Hiroshima is a city ofprayers. It is a place where we keenly feel the preciousness of life and the importance of peace. I want to continue to appeal for the abolishment of nuclear weapons.
Pray for the creation of a peaceful world!
Profile[Hiroko Kishida]
Born in 1939. Was in the toilet of her home in Yokogawa Town
1.5km north of the hypocenter when the atomic bomb was
dropped, aged 6. Her mother, grandfather and younger brotherwere also at home at the time of the bombing. Her older brother was a 2nd year student at a national elementary school, andwas in a classroom at school when the bomb was dropped. Her
father had been conscripted to the army and was serving in
China at the time. Active as an atomic bombing witness since
2015.

Information
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HIROSHIMA PEACE CULTURE FOUNDATION
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730-0811, JAPAN
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E-mail: p-soumu@pcf.city.hiroshima.jp〔URL〕http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/hpcf/

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