Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation

February 2023

PEACE
CULTURE

vol.1 No.88 (semiannual)

serve as mediator at the ongoing 2020 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferationof Nuclear Weapons (NPT), to definitely participate in thenext Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and to become asignatory to the TPNW as soon as possible, and to wholeheartedly support the movement toward nuclear weaponsabolition. He also demanded the government to enhance
support measures for the many hibakusha who are suffering in various ways from radiation, which has adverse
physical and emotional effects, and whose average age isover 84 years old.
Barbara Alex and Rin Yamasaki, the children’s representatives, then delivered the Commitment to Peace, in which
they pledged to “take action for the creation of a future
where peace is reflected in the eyes of everyone aroundthe world.”
In his remarks that followed, Prime Minister Kishidastated that Japan would walk decisively forward on thepath towards a world without nuclear weapons, no matter how narrow, steep, or difficult that path may be, andthat, towards that end, while firmly upholding the Three
Non-Nuclear Principles, Japan would endeavor to connect
the reality of a harsh security environment with the idealof a world without nuclear weapons. He also expressed
his intention for us to demonstrate to the world at the G7
Summit in Hiroshima our pledge for humankind neverto repeat the devastation of using nuclear weapons. He
stated that he and the G7 leaders will unite to safeguard
peace and the international order and uphold the universal
values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the ruleof law.
This ceremony was the first time that UN Secretary-General Guterres attended and delivered an address.
The Secretary-General said that crises with grave nuclear
undertones are spreading fast from the Middle East, to the
Korean peninsula, to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Stating that it is totally unacceptable for states in possessionof nuclear weapons to admit the possibility of nuclear
war, he urged those states to “take the nuclear option off
the table―for good. It’s time to proliferate peace. Heed
the message of the hibakusha: ‘No more Hiroshimas! No
more Nagasakis!’”The full texts of the Peace Declaration and Commitment

77th Peace Memorial Ceremony
since the Atomic Bombing
On Saturday, August 6, 2022, the 77th year since the atomic bombing, the Peace Memorial Ceremony was held by
the City of Hiroshima in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.
About 3,000 people attended, including hibakusha andrepresentatives of bereaved families from 28 prefectures,
as well as ambassadors and representatives from 99 countries including the United States, the United Kingdom,and France, the nuclear weapon states, and the European
Union. They prayed for the repose of the souls of the victims and for lasting world peace.
The ceremony began at 8:00am, when Hiroshima Mayor
Matsui and two representatives of the bereaved families
first dedicated two volumes of the Register of the Namesof the Fallen Atomic Bomb Victims, containing the namesof the 4,978 people who were confirmed to have died in
the past year, to the Cenotaph for the Atomic Bomb Victims. This brings the total number of names recorded in
the Register to 333,907 people, in 123 volumes.
After the ceremonial address by Mr. Sasaki, Chairpersonof the Hiroshima City Council, and a flower offering by
each representative, Mr. Shinji Yoneda, a representativeof the bereaved families, and Ms. Himari Masumoto, thechildren’s representative, rang the Peace Bell at 8:15, thetime the atomic bomb was dropped, and all participants
offered one minute of silent prayer.
After this, Mayor Matsui read the Peace Declaration.
Referring to the possibility that Russia may use nuclear
weapons in its invasion of Ukraine, the mayor urged theleaders of the nuclear weapon states to visit the A-bombed
cities, face the consequences of the use of nuclear weapons, and be convinced that the abolition of nuclear weapons is the only sure way to protect the lives and propertyof the people. He expressed his strong hope that the leaders who attend theG7 Summit in Hiroshima next year
will reach this conclusion.
The mayor also
demanded the Japanese government Mayor Matsui reading the Peace Declaration
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February 2023
country, and Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs of
the United Nations, the third-generation Nagasaki hibakusha and co-chair of the voluntary organization KNOWNUKES TOKYO, Ms. Suzuka Nakamura, wearing thekimono and sash of Ms. Tomiko Fukushima, a Nagasaki
hibakusha, took to the podium to speak on the “Testimonials of Survivors of Nuclear Weapons Use and Testing”.
She stated, “It is up to us, the younger generation, to carry on the wishes of the hibakusha and to prevent repetition of the same mistakes in the future.” Sueichi Kido,
secretary-general of the Japan Confederation of A- andH-bomb Sufferers Organizations, spoke about the damage
caused by the atomic bombings and the lifelong anxiety
and suffering of the hibakusha, and stated that the TPNW
is precisely the wish of the hibakusha.

to Peace read at the ceremony can be downloaded fromthe City of Hiroshima website.
(General Affairs Division)

Delegation of Mayors for Peaceto the First Meeting of States
Parties to the TPNWIn June 2022, Mayors for Peace dispatched a delegation
including President Kazumi Matsui (Mayor of Hiroshima), Vice President Tomihisa Taue (Mayor of Nagasaki)
and Secretary General Takashi Koizumi (Chairperson ofthis Foundation), to attend the First Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons(TPNW) and the 2022 Conference on the Humanitarian
Impact of Nuclear Weapons held in Vienna, Austria. The
delegation expressed their grave concern about nuclear weapons, which cause inhumane consequences, andurged UN and national government officials to take action
to advance discussions toward nuclear abolition. In addition, a joint side event between the Mayors for Peace andthe International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons(ICAN), as well as the Mayors for Peace A-bomb Poster
Exhibition, were held to build momentum for a peacefulworld without nuclear weapons.

Meeting with the Deputy Director General of the
Department of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand
President Matsui expressed his gratitude to Thailand forsponsoring the exhibition of A-bomb posters of the Mayors for Peace in the venue of the TPNW First Meeting ofStates Parties, and asked for cooperation in expanding thenumber of member cities of the Mayors for Peace in orderto foster public opinion toward increasing the number ofstates parties of the TPNW. Deputy Director Ek-on Khunacharoen recognized that is one of the key issues andsaid that she is pleased to work with civil society, including the Mayors for Peace.

June 20 (Mon)
Observation of the Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons
Following the opening remarks by Mr. Alexander Schallenberg, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria, the hostImpressions from Attending the First Meeting of States Parties to the TPNWAt the First Meeting, the inhumanity of nuclear weapons was reaffirmed, and the Vienna Declaration,
the final document that denounces security reliance on nuclear weapons and includes measures toachieve the content of the Treaty, such as promoting participation in the Treaty and assisting nuclear
victims, was adopted, along with the Vienna Action Plan, which stipulates specific procedures andactions. In particular, it was emphasized that the TPNW is not in conflict with existing treaties such as
the NPT, but is complementary to them.
Hiroshima Mayor
In view of the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and the uncertainty of nuclear arsenal management, I
Kazumi Matsui
felt once again that nuclear weapons are an ‘absolute evil’ that can cause enormous damage but never
benefit anyone, and that the only way to prevent future damage from nuclear weapons is to abolish them.
We must promote security for both people and nations and encourage steady efforts toward the abolition of nuclear
weapons by creating an environment that ensures that nuclear weapon states are committed to nuclear disarmament.
To do so, it is necessary to first increase the number of non-nuclear weapon states that ratify the TPNW. This will help
to create an environment that will change the current regime that allows nuclear powers to exercise influence over othercountries by using nuclear weapons. In addition, as such an environment is created, the influence of nuclear weapons
will decline, despite the risks that arise from their possession, and eventually the enormous cost burden of maintaining
and managing nuclear weapons will no longer be commensurate with their influence. This will provide an incentive fornuclear weapon states to engage in nuclear disarmament.
Based on this concept, in order to foster public opinion in civil society toward the dissemination and effectiveness of the
TPNW, Mayors for Peace, in cooperation with the UN, NGOs and other organizations, as well as the countries promoting
the Treaty, will further focus on the theme of ‘Promote a culture of peace’, as stated in the Vision for Peaceful Transformation to a Sustainable World (PX Vision) that was formulated last July in cooperation with member cities.
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of Mayors for
Peace and local
governments efforts to promote
the abolition of
nuclearweapons. This wasfollowed by Ms. Presenters answering questions from particiMaya Thompson pantsfrom ICAN Norway and Ms. Nakamura from KNOWNUKES TOKYO, who presented their thoughts and efforts toward nuclear weapons abolition as representativesof youth working for nuclear abolition.

Meeting with the Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the CTBTO
Mr. Robert Floyd, Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO),
stated that 172 states have ratified the CTBT, although it
has not yet entered into force, and that since the treaty
was first signed in 1996, the total number of nuclear tests
has fallen dramatically from over 2,000 to less than 12,
providing peace and security for all countries. President
Matsui stated that in order to make the TPNW effective by
expanding the number of states parties, as in the case of
the CTBT, he would like to work with the member citiesof the Mayors for Peace to spread awareness of the inhumane consequences that result from the use of nuclear
weapons.

Meeting with ICAN Executive Director
President Matsui conveyed his appreciation for the jointside event and expressed his desire to work together topromote and ensure the effectiveness of the TPNW. Ms.
Beatrice Fihn, Executive Director of ICAN, spoke of the‘voices of civil society’, the title of the event, as an example of how citizens’ voices in Norway led their governments to participate in the First Meeting as observer, andsaid that she recognized that it could motivate new movements. She said that she would like to think of an initiativethat can be implemented in cooperation with the Mayors
for Peace, such as the ICAN Cities Appeal, in which local
governments call on their own national governments tosign the TPNW.

June 21 (Tues)
Meeting with the Under-Secretary-General andHigh Representative for Disarmament Affairs of
the United Nations and handover of signatures
Under-Secretary-General Nakamitsu noted that, despite
the difficult international situation, the number of attendees, including observers, at the First Meeting of States
Parties was more than double the expected number. She
said that she hopes to take advantage of these various
driving forces for the abolition of nuclear weapons, which
is a major issue for the United Nations. President Matsuistated that by expanding the number of countries ratifying the TPNW, he hopes to spread awareness of the inhumanity of the use of nuclear weapons and the uncertaintyof their management, and to motivate the nuclear weapon states to disarm
their nuclear arsenals. He also handed over a catalog
of approximately
290,000 signatures
calling for all states
to join the TPNW at
Ms. Nakamitsu (right) receiving the catalog
the earliest date.
of signatures

Speech at the General Debate of the TPNW First
Meeting of States Parties
President Matsui, together with Vice President Taue,
speaking on behalf of Mayors for Peace, pointed out thatthe methods used to resolve the situation caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine must not nullify the efforts thathumanity has made. In order to make the TPNW effective,
he stressed the urgent need for the United Nations, national governments and civil society to work together, toincrease the number of states parties, especially non-nuclear weapon states, that ratify the treaty, and to make thenuclear weapon states more aware of the inhumanity of
nuclear weapons and the uncertainty of nuclear arsenal
management. He also explained the efforts of Mayors for
Peace and the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and expressed hope for the G7
Summit to be held in
Hiroshima in 2023. He
called for the fulfillmentof the ambitious goalsof the treaty, including
the improvement and enrichment of victim assistance provision.

Joint side event held by Mayors for Peace and ICAN
A joint side event with ICAN titled ‘Voices of Civil Society for a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World’ drew a packed
audience of over 100 people. With Secretary-General Koizumi as MC, first there were opening remarks by President Matsui. Next, Mr. Yoshiaki Fukahori, Chairperson ofNagasaki City Council, called for Nagasaki to be the last
A-bombed city as a message from the hibakusha, while
Mr. Masashi Ieshima, Chairman of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, shared
his own experience and spoke of the horrors of radiation
damage. As representatives of the Mayors for Peace, City
Councilor Edward Newman of Manchester, England, amember of the Executive Committee, gave an overview

Speech by President Matsui

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February 2023
ties to the TPNW, making reference to the CTBT. Ambassador Luis Campuzano recognized that the Treaty
will also complement the achievement of the goals of the
CTBT, and said that the involvement of civil society, including Mayors for Peace, is important in expanding thenumber of states parties to the TPNW. He said that he isaiming for ratification by all countries.

Mayors for Peace Executive Cities’ Meeting for Exchange of Views and European Chapter Meeting
Eleven cities, including thecities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as European
executive cities, gathered
for a meeting and engaged
in lively discussions. Mr.
Thomas Hermann, Deputy Executive City Discussion Session
Mayor of Hannover, announced that the number of member cities in Germany is increasing rapidly under the tense
situation in Ukraine, and Ms. Alba Barnusell, Mayor of
Granollers, Spain, expressed her determination to engage
in further activities as the head of the European Chapter.
After exchanging opinions on future initiatives, Vice
President Taue stated that he would like to continue thediscussion at the General Conference of Mayors for Peace
to be held in Hiroshima this October.

Meeting with the Norwegian Special Envoy for
Disarmament Affairs
Special Envoy Jo/rn Osmundsen stated that Norway has
been working on nuclear disarmament as a priority area
for several decades and aims to achieve a world without
nuclear weapons by fulfilling its obligation to negotiate
nuclear disarmament in good faith under Article VI of the
NPT. He expressed his view that it is important to ensure
the principle of subsidiarity of the TPNW. He also statedthat although it is difficult to sign and ratify the Treaty,
it is important to participate in the Meeting of the States
Parties and engage in constructive dialogue without antagonism, even if positions are different. President Matsuiconveyed his view that the NPT is the entry point and the
TPNW is the end point for a world without nuclear weapons. He stated that he supports the approach of Norway, which is a member of
the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) andunder the nuclear umbrelMeeting with Norwegian Specialla, but is making effort to Envoy (left)
functionalize the TPNW.

June 22 (Wed)Meeting with the Head of the Arms and Conductof Hostilities Unit of the International Committeeof the Red Cross (ICRC)
Unit Head Laurent Gisel stated that the policies of the
ICRC and Mayor for Peace are in line regarding the abolition of nuclear weapons, and that they would like topursue together the roles of the younger generations in
the need for sustainable efforts in the face of the growing risk of nuclear weapons being used. President Matsui
explained initiative: Children’s Art Competition “Peaceful Towns”, in which children in member cities are encouraged to draw pictures while thinking about peace. He
asked Mr. Gisel to help in efforts to spread a culture ofpeace, especially among the younger generation.

June 21 (Tues) ― June 23 (Thurs)
At the venue of the TPNW First Meeting of States Parties, an A-bomb poster exhibition was held by Mayors for
Peace to help participants deepen their understanding of
the realities of the atomic bombings.
(Mayors for Peace Administration Division)

Meeting with a member of the Australian Parliament (House of Representatives)
When asked by President Matsui why she decided toparticipate as an observer despite Australia being under
the nuclear umbrella, Parliament Member Susan Templeman prefaced her remarks by saying that Australia was
not considering signing or ratifying the TPNW, and that
although she shared concerns about nuclear weapons with
the Parties, she was not speaking at the meeting, but wasparticipating to bring back information gained from thisMeeting for the consideration of future correspondence.

Mayors for Peace sends delegation to the 10th NPT Review
Conference
In August 2022, the Executive Committee of Mayors for
Peace dispatched a delegation consisting of Vice President Tomihisa Taue, Secretary-General Takashi Koizumi(President of this Foundation) and others to the 10th NPT
Review Conference held in New York City. The delegation requested government officials and others to adopt a
consensus document to advance nuclear disarmament andnon-proliferation measures and to respect the final document of the TPNW First Meeting of States Parties, andalso sought understanding and cooperation for Mayors for
Peace initiatives. The Mayors for Peace A-bomb poster
exhibition was also held, to create momentum for the realization of a peaceful world without nuclear weapons.

June 23 (Thurs)
Meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary andPlenipotentiary of the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the International Organizations in Vienna
President Matsui requested that Mexico, at the national
level, make use of its experience in achieving the Treaty
for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America
and the Caribbean, the world’s first nuclear-weapon-freezone treaty, and work to expand the number of states par4

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Thoughts on the Results of the 10th NPT Review Conference
At this Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Review Conference, in the processof developing the final document, there were discussions about clearly stating the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and the facts related to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), as wellas the adoption of a declaration of ‘No First Use’ of nuclear weapons and an international agreement on‘Negative Security Assurance’. However, the conference ended without adopting a final document, inthe same way as the previous conference.
Hiroshima Mayor
The fact that the conference ended in such a way is not only contrary to the ‘steady progress in nuclear
Kazumi Matsui
disarmament and non-proliferation measures’ that Vice President Tomihisa Taue, Mayor of Nagasaki
City, called for as a representative of Mayors for Peace, but also rejects the wish of the hibakusha for the abolition of
nuclear weapons, which is extremely regrettable.
In order to overcome this situation, it is necessary to foster a social environment to change the current situation where
the pursuit of national interests inevitably takes precedence over respect for international frameworks. To do so, efforts to
spread throughout the global community the recognition expressed in the draft final document and in the joint statement
issued during the session, namely, the recognition of the inhumanity of nuclear weapons, have become more important
than ever.
Based on this recognition, Mayors for Peace, together with the leaders of more than 8,200 member cities, will promotea culture of peace that rejects all forms of violence in order to protect the safety and security of citizens, and create anenvironment in which political leaders can pursue foreign policy through dialogue rather than relying on nuclear deterrence.
August 3 (Wed)Meeting with former UN Under-Secretary-General Chowdhury
In addition to the letter from President Matsui to former UN Under-Secretary-General Anwarul Chowdhury,
who is a proponent of the Culture of Peace, and a request
to him to give a commemorative speech at
the General Conference of Mayors for
Peace scheduled to beheld in October, theyexchanged views on
Meeting with former UN Under-Secrethe culture of peace.
tary-General Chowdhury (center)

Meeting with the Special Representative of the
President of the United States for Nuclear Nonproliferation
Special Representative Adam Scheinman stated that
nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament are important
issues for the U.S. and that nuclear war must be avoided through the efforts of nuclear weapon states. He also
expressed his desire to continue open and transparent
dialogue by creating an environment where nuclear risk
reduction can be discussed.
Secretary-General Koizumi urged the U.S. government,
which will play the most important role in the conference,
to express its concrete actions toward nuclear abolition
and to make efforts to adopt the final document.

August 4 (Thurs)
Meeting with the Executive Director of the Arms
Control Association
Executive Director Daryl Kimball, expressed his viewthat the NPT Review Conference is being held under very
difficult circumstances and that the outcome of the conference will be directly related to whether or not concretecommitments are made by nuclear weapon states. He also
expressed his respect and wholehearted support for the
initiatives of Mayors for Peace.
They also exchanged views on the Youth Leader Fundfor a world without nuclear weapons, which JapanesePrime Minister Fumio Kishida announced in his General
Debate Speech on August 1, for the purpose of encouraging young people to visit the A-bombed cities and promote a culture of peace involving civil society.

Meeting with the Permanent Representative andAmbassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiaryof Japan to the Conference on Disarmament
Ambassador Ichiro Ogasawara said that he welcomed
the fact that bringing the voices of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to the conference venue would be a tailwind for the
success of the conference. However, he also expressed
his view that while he recognizes the importance of the
TPNW, the treaty has problems in that it does not provide
specific steps to the end goal of nuclear weapons abolition, and that the involvement of nuclear weapon states
is essential to abolish nuclear weapons, which is different
from the approach to nuclear abolition that the Japanese
government considers.
Secretary-General Koizumi asked for his understandingof the importance of promoting the TPNW and efforts toadopt a final document of this conference that will lead tonuclear disarmament in the future.
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bon cutting by Sueichi
Kido, Secretary-General of the Confederation, Gustavo Zlauvinen, President of the10th NPT Review Conference, Mayor Taue,
Tape-cutting
and Secretary-General
Koizumi.
The A-bomb exhibition, which ran for about a month,featured 48 panels and displayed A-bomb-related materials from the collections of Hiroshima Peace Memorial
Museum and Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum.

Meeting with the Director of Disarmament and
Non-Proliferation, Irish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Director Orlaith Fitzmaurice commended the proactive
efforts of the Mayors for Peace at the municipal level topromote the abolition of nuclear weapons as a very powerful force. At this meeting, she said that effective benchmarks for nuclear disarmament must be created and restrictions on nuclear weapons must be put in place. She
also stated that the Irish government strives to consider
how the TPNW can contribute to the implementation of
the NPT and to clear up misunderstandings if any.
Secretary-General Koizumi paid tribute to the Irish government’s efforts toward nuclear disarmament to date, andexpressed his hope for the expansion of member cities in
Ireland and future collaboration.

Meeting with the Permanent Representative andAmbassador of France to the Conference on Disarmament
Ambassador Yann Hwang expressed his view that, despite France’s efforts toward nuclear disarmament, it will
not be easy for the States Parties to come to an agreement
for a final document at this conference, which will be held
under the current complex security environment. He said
that it is necessary to confirm the contributions of all parties, especially Russia, to the NPT, and expressed his wish
to visit Hiroshima to learn about the reality of the atomic
bombing.
Secretary-General Koizumi said that he hopes the ambassador visits Hiroshima and called for understanding of
the subsidiarity between the TPNW and the NPT and for
efforts to adopt a final document at this conference.

Meeting with hibakusha Ms. Thurlow
Ms. Setsuko Thurlow expressed her concern about thelack of media coverage of nuclear weapons in North
America, and stressed the importance of close collaboration between citizenry, academia, and administration inpromotion of nuclear disarmament.
Mayor Taue commented that the fact that the younger
generation is taking up the baton of efforts toward nuclear abolition is providing us with hope. In response, theparticipants discussed the importance of young people’s
continued efforts toward peace and the importance of visiting A-bombed cities and learning about the reality of theatomic bombings.
August 5 (Fri)Meeting with UK Ambassador and Permanent
Representative to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva
Secretary-General Koizumi stressed that the only way tofulfill the wish of the hibakusha that ‘no one else should
suffer as we have’ is to abolish nuclear weapons. He asked
for understanding of the subsidiarity between the TPNW
and the NPT, and for efforts to adopt a final document at
this conference.
Ambassador Aidan Liddle expressed his view that while
he takes the wishes of the hibakusha to heart and shares
their goal of eliminating nuclear weapons, the UK will not
ratify the TPNW because it differs from the UK government’s approach. He also stated that in order to achievea nuclear-free world, dialogue among nuclear weapon
states must be promoted while maintaining informationtransparency.

Meeting with the President of the 10th NPT Review Conference
In response to Mayor Taue’s question on what he expects from civil society in nuclear disarmament, Ambassador Zlauvinen stated that since the nuclear disarmament
negotiations take place behind a wall, civil society cannot
be involved in the process. However, he hopes that civilsociety will surround the wall and unite to influence thosebehind the wall by using tools that can impact society,such as SNS. He also expressed his desire to visit the
A-bombed cities.
Secretary-General Koizumi conveyed the hibakusha’s
earnest wish for nuclear abolition, and called for an understanding of the mutual complementarity created by the fusion of the two approaches of the TPNW and the NPT, andfor efforts to adopt a final document at this conference.
Speech at the NGO Session of the 10th NPT Review Conference
Mayor Taue, speaking on behalf of Mayors for Peace,pointed out that what prevented another Hiroshima andNagasaki from happening for the past 77 years is the hibakusha’s long-standing call for the abolition of nuclear
weapons―which has resonated throughout the world,

Attendance at the opening ceremony of the Atomic
Bomb Exhibition organized by the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations
The opening ceremony of the Atomic Bomb Exhibition,organized by the Japan Confederation of A- and H-BombSufferers Organizations, was held with remarks and a rib6

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in temples and private houses in each area so that students
did not have to commute to the main school, which wasa long distance away. I attended the Kojin-machi National School Osuga offsite classroom, which was located ina rented private house near the west end of the current
Shinkansen platform at Hiroshima Station.
My sister and I set about our morning cleaning and were
wiping the front door area. The bucket of water was dirty,
so my sister went into the kitchen to change the water.
I may have sensed something, because I stopped andlooked over the living room toward the garden.
At that moment, a huge flash of light covered the area. I
saw the leaves of the shrubs in the garden turn black andmelt.
The next moment, the blast hit with a booming sound.
The pillars and ceiling came crashing down, and I was
slammed into something, cowering in the pitch-black
darkness. I do not know how long I waited, but no one
came to my rescue.
The smoke had subsided a little, and light began to leakin from above. I realized that the ceiling had collapsed.
I crawled up desperately. I ducked through a gap in thepillars, pushed something up, and struggled to get out,
amidst the smell of rotting straw and dirt on the walls. I
emerged on top of the collapsed roof.
Strange looking people were fleeing down the street infront of me in a line. When I looked around, I saw that all
the houses had been destroyed. I did my best to follow
behind the stream of fleeing people. Looking down from aslightly elevated place toward the railroad tracks, I could
see that the stream of people was a long, long line of evacuees. In a ditch, a horse was struggling on its back.
When we reached the road along the river next to Nigitsu Shrine, we could see the Hakushima area on the otherside of the river, and people were coming down the stone
steps leading down to the riverbed, like an avalanche. I
saw many people floating and sinking in the river.
I ran as fast as I could, trying to keep up with the flow ofpeople. Fire was spewing from the collapsed houses along
the river. I was running away from the rubble-strewn
streets barefoot. I think almost everyone was barefoot. I
managed to escape by following the stream of survivors to
the point halfway up
Mt. Futaba. The place
was already full ofsurvivors. The city ofHiroshima was blazing below us. Blacksmoke was billowing
up, and the entire area “East Drill Ground (currently the area
north of Hiroshima Station) on the evewas a sea of fire.
ning of August 6” by Fumiaki Kajiyaraising awareness of their inhumanity. He also claimed
that once a nuclear-weapon state starts to act arrogantly
and with brute force, these accumulated efforts will crumble in an instant. He called for the NPT and TPNW tocomplement each other and to serve as two wheels for theinternational community to advance toward the realization of a world without nuclear weapons.
Mayor Taue also requested that the participants
fulfill their obligation tonegotiate in good faith on
nuclear disarmament as
stipulated in Article VI of
the NPT and provide a conSpeech by Mayor Taue
crete roadmap to ensure
progress on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation
measures.
He concluded his speech by sending the words “May
Nagasaki be the last wartime atomic bombing site” to theparticipants and expressed the determination of Mayors
for Peace, to continue striving for a world without nuclear
weapons.
August 1 (Mon) ― 26 (Fri)Exhibition of A-bomb posters held by Mayors for
Peace Conference
At the site of the 10th NPT Review Conference, anA-bomb poster exhibition was held by Mayors for Peace
to help conference participants deepen their understanding of the reality of the atomic bombing.
(Mayors for Peace Administration Division)Memoir of the A-bombing“My A-bomb experience andthe postwar period”

Fumiaki Kajiya
Atomic bomb survivor
registered with this Foundation
A sudden flash
It was over 75 years ago.
August 6, 1945. The repeated air raid warnings from thenight before had forced us to flee to an air-raid shelter
many times, but early that morning, the siren of the warning alarm sounded, and we went into the shelter again. It
was 7:31am.
My sister, a third-grade student at a national elementary school who had returned home from an evacuation
site, and I, a first-grade student, went to school together
at an offsite classroom that had been established in thetown. As the air raids had become more intense, offsiteclassrooms were temporary classrooms that were set up

Wandering around the East Drill GroundIn the evening, the fire began to die down and the evacuees began to make their way down the mountain. I,
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and danced with friends who had lost their parents in theatomic bombing.
When Ms. Helen Keller visited Hiroshima in 1948, I
clearly remember all the school children lined up along
the roadside and waved enthusiastically.
At the time of the Korean uprising that began in 1950,
the city of Hiroshima was still partially covered with burnt
ruins and piles of rubble, and I used to dig them up andcollect metal objects to earn some extra money.

too, was taken down the mountain by a woman from myneighborhood whom I happened to meet. Heading to theplace where my father, mother, and sister would have taken refuge if they had survived, from Tsuruhane Shrine wepassed in front of Hiroshima Toshogu Shrine and emergedat the East Drill Ground, which stretches to the north ofHiroshima Station. The whole place was filled with survivors. I somehow got separated from the neighborhood
woman and wandered around aimlessly amidst the moans
and cries for water that could be heard all over the area.
Sukeyuki Imanishi, who later became a writer of children’s literature, came to the East Drill Ground to help thesurvivors the day after the bombing and wrote, “We werestanding in the middle of hell.”As I wandered around the area, a man from my neighborhood found me and told me, “Your father and motherare alive. But your mother is covered in blood. You haveto go quickly, or it looks like she might die.” I do not remember it myself, but apparently, I burst into tears at thattime. I myself had blood all over my head and face.
My mother had 50 or 60 pieces of glass stuck in her
body, and she was covered in blood and moaning. A pieceof glass also pierced her left eyeball, which my father
pulled out, but he could not heal it and she lost the sight in
her left eye. With dozens of scars and fragments of glass
left in her body, my mother still survived to the age of 94.
My sister was lying on the grass in front of my motherwho kept moaning. She seemed to me to be smiling a little. My sister was pinned under a pillar in the offsite classroom and died instantly. I later found out that my friend
in second grade who was in the same classroom was also
killed instantly. However, the records of that school show
“0” children killed by the atomic bomb. Since many of theschools with wooden buildings were destroyed by fire, atthe time of the survey, the number of children who died in
the offsite classrooms could not be confirmed.
My father, who himself was wounded, said that after
pulling my mother and sister out from under the rubble,
he moved around to rescue everyone.
I spent the night of August 6 with my mother, who wascovered in blood, looking out over the still burning city ofHiroshima, amidst the moans of the survivors all around.

Talking about my experience
Writer Tamiki Hara, who had fled to Hiroshima Toshogu
Shrine at the time of the atomic bombing, questioned himself as a survivor and left a note in his notebook: “It must
be providence that I should survive to tell the world what
happened.” I remember those words when I talk about myexperience.
Profile[Fumiaki Kajiya]
Experienced the bombing 1.8km from the hypocenter.
Has continued to live in Hiroshima City since then.
In the year he retired, he founded the Association for
Teachers Passing on What Happened in Hiroshima. Has
continued these activities for over twenty years. He also
became an Atomic Bombing Witness of Hiroshima Peace
Culture Foundation in 2020 after completing a course. He
is a member of the Hiroshima Pen Club and was a torchbearer for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Communicating Hibakusha ’s
Thoughts and the Spirit of Hiroshima to the United Nations andto National Representatives―Supporting the hibakusha―

Mamoru Fukushima
Secretary-General,
Hiroshima Consumer’s Cooperative Unions Confederation
In August 2022, I participated in the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Review
Conference held at UN Headquarters in New York as amember of the delegation sent by the Japanese Consumers’ Co-operative Union. In the previous mission, a delegation of 100 people was dispatched from Co-op Unions
across Japan, but due to the pandemic, the size of the delegation this time was reduced to six (three from the Japan
Co-op Association, one from Hiroshima, and two from
Nagasaki). The aim of dispatching the delegation is tosupport the activities of four representatives of the Japan
Council of A-bomb and H-bomb Sufferers Organizations(Nihon Hidankyo-), and to appeal for nuclear abolition together.

Living after the bombing
I spent several days at the East Drill Ground. The sweet
taste of the relief rice balls from people in the suburbs ofHiroshima, the dried bread distributed by the soldiers, andthe kompeito sugar in the bottom of the bag are still in mymind together with my gratitude.
Schools were open-air classrooms for a while after thewar.
In 1947 or 1948, during the Peace Festival (the predecessor of the Peace Memorial Ceremony), I performed asa member of the local kids’ club on the Peace Tower stage,
which was located in what is now Peace Memorial Park,
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PEACE CULTURE No.88

February 2023
and the horror of nuclear weapons. The meeting concluded with a discussion regarding the adoption of the final
document at this conference and expectations for nuclear
disarmament.
At the A-bomb exhibition held in the UN lobby, the reality of the atomic bombing and the efforts of hibakusha
who have been active for over 70 years were introduced
through panels produced with donations from co-ops
nationwide. At the opening ceremony, Nagasaki Mayor
Tomihisa Taue and Hiroshima Mayor’s deputy, Takashi
Koizumi, Chairperson of the Hiroshima Peace Culture
Foundation, made remarks. Secretary-General Kido thenrecalled the time of the atomic bombing and emphasized
the inhumanity of nuclear weapons, saying, “We don’teven know the remains of the victims. All the people who
had lived until then were erased.” Ambassador Gustavo
Zlauvinen, the chairman of this Review Conference, also
took to the podium and stated, “The dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the same asbombing humanity.” Many people were eager to see the
A-bomb exhibitions, and educators from the U.S. Marine
Corps listened to the stories of the hibakusha.
Speaking at the NGO presentations of the NPT Review
Conference, Deputy Secretary-General Wada also called
on “the nuclear weapon states and their allies to recognizethat humanity as a whole is on the brink of nuclear war
because of their disloyalty and arrogance, and to fulfill
their ‘clear commitments’ in good faith.”

Based on the principle of “For Peace and Better Life”,
Co-op is engaged in various peace activities throughout
Japan. Together with hibakusha from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we appealed to the people of the world for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
【Request to national delegations】
Hibakusha shared their experiences and their wish for aworld without nuclear weapons so that concrete progress
toward nuclear abolition could be agreed upon.
First, at the meeting with the representative of the United Kingdom, a nuclear weapon state with which we met
this time, when we were told that efforts would be made to
reduce nuclear weapons, Sueichi Kido, Secretary Generalof the Nihon Hidankyo-, expressed his strong feelings by
exclaiming, “It is not enough to just reduce them; we haveto make them zero.”In the next meeting with the Austrian representative,
we expressed our appreciation for the major role Austria
played in the first Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty
on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), and therepresentative stated that he work with an understandingof the thoughts of the hibakusha.
We also conveyed our appreciation for the efforts andcontributions by the Mexican Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs. The Ambassador expressed appreciation for
the activities of the hibakusha and NGOs, and reassured
us that Mexico would make every effort to educate theyounger generation and serve as a bridge between thegovernment and NGOs.
At the meeting with the Permanent Mission of Japan to
the United Nations, Secretary-General Kido noted thatPrime Minister Fumio Kishida’s speech was vague onwhat exactly he would do. Masako Wada, Deputy Secretary-General of the Nihon Hidankyo-, said she wishedhe had mentioned the TPNW in his speech. Ichiro Ogasawara, Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs, gave a safe
answer, saying “Prime Minister Kishida, who was elected
in Hiroshima, is passionately committed to a nuclear-freeworld. Our goals are the same. We need to create a process
for the abolition of nuclear weapons.”
During the meeting with the representatives of eachcountry, I was impressed by the hibakusha’s passion for
the abolition of nuclear weapons, their unwavering words
and actions, and their appeal to the world.

【Activities to communicate the reality of theatomic bombing (hibakusha testimonies)】
Testimonies were given at the German Peace Society, NY
Office of the University of Tokyo, NY Buddhist Church,and St. John’s Cathedral Chapel. A peace gathering was
also held at the UN Church Center on August 6 at 8:15 a.m.
Japan time, where Mayor Taue, Chairperson Koizumi, andSecretary-General Kido rang the Peace Bell and Hiroshima
Mayor Kazumi Matsui’s message was delivered.
【After the NPT Review Conference】
It is very unfortunate that only one country objected, andthe States Parties could not reach a unanimous agreement
and the final document was not adopted. However, there
were also achievements as follows.
① The overwhelming majority of countries urged the nuclear weapon states to take concrete actions toward theabolition of nuclear weapons, indicating a world-wide
movement toward the abolition of nuclear weapons.
② The draft final document, to which all parties except
Russia did not object, is of great significance.
What is important from now on is to recognize the results of this Conference and what has been clarified, andto organize the “roadmap” derived from these results andmake it into a task that must be achieved. The major point
is what Japan, the only country to have been exposed to【Requests to the United Nations】
Hibakusha Setsuko Thurlow was also present at the meeting with Izumi Nakamitsu, UN Under-Secretary-Generaland High Representative for Disarmament Affairs. Ms.
Wada, Deputy Secretary-General, expressed her gratitude
to Representative Nakamitsu for her understanding words
and actions in support of the hibakusha. Ms. Nakamitsu
expressed her appreciation for the work of the hibakusha
and their efforts to communicate the A-bomb experience9PEACE CULTURE No.88

February 2023
of being overrun and endangered, as is now the case with
the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant?
The third is the attitude toward the principle of international cooperation. This is a turning point for the international community, which has continued to seek international cooperation through diplomacy since the end ofWorld War II, and whether or not it will return to a society
based on force.
These turning points lie between the ideal and the reality. I cannot help but feel that we are always floating between ideals and reality, coexisting with them, and standing on a delicate balance between the two. Many accept
this as natural, while others may find that it is a dilemma.
In considering these issues regarding nuclear weapons, on
the one hand a world without nuclear weapons, and theTreaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which isan international treaty to realize such a world, can be seenas the ideal. On the other hand, the Japan-U.S. security
arrangement, the nuclear umbrella, and nuclear deterrence
can be seen as reality.
Since 2020, we have been conducting a joint researchstudy on students’ views on peace with the Yomiuri Shimbun and Associate Professor van der Does of the Hiroshima University Center for Peace. There, too, the gap
between ideal and reality was highlighted. To cite just a
few examples, in a 2021 survey of about 1,000 students ateight universities in Japan, including Hiroshima and Nagasaki Universities, just under 90% said that Japan should
join (sign or ratify) the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, while more than half said that the possibility of nuclear abolition is low. About 40% expressed
understanding of Japan’s dependence on the U.S. nuclear
umbrella (Noriyuki Kawano and Luli van der Does, “Preliminary Results of the 76th Anniversary Online Survey
on the Students’ Perceptions of Peace”, Hiroshima Peace
Science 43, 129-143, 2021). Furthermore, in a 2022 survey conducted after Russia’s military invasion, about 80%
of respondents said that nuclear weapons themselves need
to be eliminated or reduced, while about 75% of all respondents said that the future use of nuclear weapons ishighly likely. This is up 13 points from the same survey
the previous year. Also, more than 80% of respondents
said that Japan’s dependence on the U.S. nuclear umbrella is “understandable” or “inevitable” (Yomiuri Shimbun,
July 31 and August 1, 2022). In this way, Russia’s military
aggression is making the gap between our ideals and reality greater and the conflict between the two more serious.
This may imply that there is no small possibility that thecountry will turn to reality, that is, reliance on nuclear deterrence and increased military spending in the future.
The coexistence of ideals and reality may be a natural
feeling for many Japanese people. On the other hand, thisis a dilemma for the hibakusha who continue to lead theidea of a world without nuclear weapons. According toan Asahi Shimbun survey conducted in 2015, more than

nuclear weapons in war, will communicate to the world.
I am confident that public opinion can change the attitudeof the Japanese government.
Based on the information and experiences gained fromthis delegation’s trip, I renewed my determination topromote efforts toward nuclear abolition together withadministrative agencies, the Nihon Hidankyo-, the Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, and other citizens’ groups.
Profile[Mamoru Fukushima]
Born 1959 in Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture. Graduatedfrom Kanagawa University, Faculty of Law.
In 1983, he joined Hiroshima Kenmin Seikatsu Kyodo Kumiai. Held management positions in the Human Resources Department, Store Department, and Home Delivery
Business Department. In 2013, became Secretary-Generalof Hiroshima Consumers’ Co-operative Union, where heremains to this day.

Between ideals and reality
regarding nuclear weapons―Thinking Again about the Role of Hiroshima―

Noriyuki Kawano
Professor and Director,
The Center for Peace, Hiroshima University
On February 24, 2022, Russia began its military invasion of Ukraine. This military invasion seems to put us atthree crossroads, reminding us of the gap between ideals
and reality. At the same time, it seems to pose a serious
challenge to Hiroshima, which advocates a world without
nuclear weapons. Will Hiroshima continue to be “Hiroshima” that plays this special role? How do the people ofHiroshima respond to this important and weighty proposition? Will Hiroshima and Nagasaki continue to pursue
and appeal for the ideal of a world without nuclear weapons even if many ordinary citizens choose the reality that
Hiroshima does not necessarily want and, in a sense, areisolated? Now, perhaps, the resolve for that isolation is
also being questioned.
First, I would like to consider three divergent points.
The first is the attitude toward nuclear weapons. This is awatershed moment in terms of whether to rely on nuclear
deterrence in response to the threat of nuclear weapons
or to pursue international norms such as the Treaty on
the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons that aims to realize aworld without nuclear weapons.
The second is a divergence on the pros and cons of nuclear power. How should we consider the idea that a country needs to provide its own energy, even with nuclear
power, and in that case, how should we consider the threat
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February 2023

90% of hibakusha expressed a desire for a world without
nuclear weapons, while at the same time, more than 40%
said the Japanese government’s position under the nuclear
umbrella was “unavoidable” (Asahi Shimbun, August 2,2015). It is easy to imagine that this emotional conflict has
become more serious with the recent military invasion.
Is there a future for a society without ideals? Many
would argue that talking about a utopian society is an attempt to escape reality. But if this is the case, why was
the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which
can be said to be the culmination of the wisdom of civilsociety, adopted by the United Nations with the support ofmore than 120 countries and brought into force? It is easy
to dismiss ideals as impractical. However, is it acceptableto leave to the next generation a society with no ideals
and no discussion of ideals? In light of the civil society
movement that led to the entry into force of the Treaty
on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, it clearly shows
how important the various activities of such civil society,and even its maturation, are. Individual thoughts will befostered and matured within civil society to become alarge mass, contributing to the realization of international
peace. Peace is no longer solely the responsibility of thestate, but also of citizens and civil society. This is why wehave high expectations for Mayors for Peace, which has
more than 8,000 member cities.
Japan is a country that should know well the pain ofwar, having lost more than 3 million people in WorldWar II and suffered tremendous damage from the atomic
bomb. Furthermore, the Constitution of Japan states that“the right of belligerency of the State shall not be recognized”. Japan, the only country to have suffered a nuclear attack in war, and the A-bombed cities of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki, have a responsibility to continue to show
to the world the pain caused by the war and the atomic
bombings. Japan, which has tended to view many wars
and conflicts as “somebody else’s problem”, has begun
to discuss increasing defense spending in addition to providing Ukraine with bulletproof vests and other defense
equipment. Where will the peace of this country, based onthat lost war, go from here?
We have experienced a pandemic caused by the newcoronavirus and we are witnessing day after day the Russian military invasion of Ukraine. The highly anticipated
NPT Review Conference in August 2022 failed to adopt
a draft final document. The world is in the midst of upheaval and chaos. It is precisely in these times that wemust once again calmly reexamine what peace means,talk about ideals, and work to build a society that strives
toward these ideals.
Hiroshima, which advocates a world without nuclear
weapons and lasting world peace and aims to become
an International City of Peace and Culture, should play acentral role in building such a society. And I cannot help
but think that this is necessary if Hiroshima is to remain

the “Hiroshima” that plays a special role.
This article is based on the Director’s greeting in
the “Center for Peace Hiroshima University CPHU
NEWSLETTER 2022,” the “Rashikku Column” inthe “Rashikku” Vol. 63, Blue Rain Issue 2022.7 (Hiroshima City Culture Foundation), and a special feature article in the “Daigaku Jiho” No. 407 (The Japan
Association of Private Universities and Colleges), withcorrections and additions.
Profile[Noriyuki Kawano]
Graduated from Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences,
Hiroshima University. PhD (Medicine).
After serving as an assistant and assistant professor at
the Hiroshima University Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, and as an associate professor
at the Center for Peace University of Hiroshima, he has
been a professor at the same institute since June 2013. Heassumed the position of Director of the Center in April
2017. Prof. Kawano specializes in atomic bomb and radiation exposure research and peace studies.

Refugees and Japan―From the perspective of a support organization―

Eri Ishikawa
Chair of the Board, Japan Association for Refugees
There are refugees who flee to Japan and seek protection
for various reasons, such as “I was living in Syria, but myhome and workplace were bombed,” “I was a student supporting the democracy movement against the military regime, but I was almost arrested myself,” “I was a memberof a minority and was put into forced labor because myreligion is different from the majority and the government
denied my citizenship”. In 2021, about 2,000 people applied for refugee status in Japan. 74 were recognized as
refugees. While 40,000 are recognized in Germany and20,000 in the U.S., we believe this number is far too low.
One possible reason is that the Immigration Services Agency (hereinafter referred to as ‘Immigration Agency’) is incharge of the implementation of refugee status recognition, and the Agency has a strong perspective of managing(policing) refugees rather than protecting (helping) them.
Moreover, this is probably due to the absence of political
will and the weakness of public opinion to support it.
Established in 1999, the Japan Association for Refugees,
a certified NPO, has had an office in Tokyo for 20 years
and has been engaged in comprehensive activities suchas support for refugees who have fled to Japan, awareness-raising, and policy advocacy, to create a society
where people can live together with refugees. The number of refugees we have been involved with is now 7,000
11PEACE CULTURE No.88

February 2023
(casework) that is tailored to their situation, starting immediately after their arrival in Japan. For example, onemust understand the premise of the Ukrainian refugees:
they did not even imagine that they would flee their country and come to Japan. During their escape, they might
have had various harsh experiences, including separationfrom their families, and when they arrive in Japan, there is
no option of immediately returning home. It is importantto provide support immediately after they enter the country. Additionally, according to news reports, many people
have unique needs, such as those with children and the elderly. Particularly important are the perspectives on how
to support them so that they are not isolated, and whether
they are able to cope with the mental impact of the situation in their country of origin and their experiences ofdisplacement.
In addition, in order to start up a life from scratch in acountry with a different language and customs, it is essential to address the difficulties in daily life and to support
the person in solving problems that are particular to theposition he or she is in. Even if the civil war in Ukraine
were to end soon, it would take even longer to feel safeenough to return. Therefore, I believe that at the very
least, the receiving side needs to prepare for acceptancefrom a long-term perspective.
We must also view the growing acceptance of Ukrainian
refugees in our society as an opportunity to lay thegroundwork for refugee acceptance in Japan, leading to
improvements in the asylum determination process andthe establishment of a comprehensive support system for
all those who seek asylum. We would like to make this an
opportunity to consider a comprehensive and fair refugeeprotection system, rather than dividing people who havebeen forced to flee their homes based on their country oforigin or the situation they are in.

people from 70 countries. Although we have been dealing
with each refugee individually and providing support tothe best of our ability, we are not able to provide sufficient
support to all of them, and this is something that we struggle with as we continue our activities.
Refugees apply for refugee status at the Immigration
Agency, and the screening process takes, on average in
2021, 4 years and 5 months. In the meantime, many of theasylum seekers are living in Tokyo or nearby prefectures.
Only about 350 are receiving government assistance, andmost other asylum seekers are waiting for the results ofthe screening process while working independently. However, many refugees are not recognized in Japan and are
unable to return to their home countries due to the threat ofpersecution. But if they reapply, their status of residence
is not renewed, and they become illegal overstayers. Since
they are on provisional release, they are without work permits and receive very limited public assistance, making
their situation more difficult.
Such a vulnerable situation has been further impacted by
the pandemic. In this section, I would like to discuss casesof provisional release and other cases of ineligibility forresidency. As mentioned above, many of them are unable
to work, join the national health insurance system, andhave little or no access to public livelihood support. Manyof them have managed to survive so far by borrowing
money from friends around them for a few thousand yeneach or by receiving remittances from friends overseas.
The livelihood of those who supported them have also
been made more difficult due to the pandemic, including
reduced work hours and unemployment, while those on
provisional release have seen their income completely cut
off. We have received some desperate requests: “I haverun out of food and have only a little rice,” “I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday,” and “I have lost my job andmy home.” Unable to return home country for fear of persecution, adult asylum seekers on provisional release whoare not registered as residents in Japan are excluded fromthe government’s special fixed-amount benefit payments,
further impoverishing them.
Under these circumstances, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced the acceptance of Ukrainian refugees into
Japan following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I believethat it was both swift and unusual for the announcement
to be made by the head of government, Prime Minister
Kishida. It was necessary to make a strong statement of intent and show solidarity against the act of invading anothercountry by force. The Prime Minister’s prompt announcement of acceptance of refugees elicited a positive response
from local governments and the private sector, and many
parties involved were positive about receiving refugees.
As of September 25, 2022, the number of Ukrainian refugees who have fled to Japan has already exceeded 1,900.
From the standpoint of having provided support for refugees, I believe that refugees need individualized support

Profile[Eri Ishikawa]
Graduated from Sophia University. Became interested in
refugee issues after the civil war in Rwanda in 1994 andparticipated in the launch of the Japan Association for Refugees (JAR). Has been the Executive Director since January 2008 and the Chair of the Board since December 2014.
Part-time lecturer at Sophia University and Hitotsubashi
University School of International and Public Policy.
Information
Our newsletters (Japanese version and English version)
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