Nagasaki Youth Delegation 2023
Hanako Ariyoshi / School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagasaki University
Hello everyone. My name is Hanako Ariyoshi. I’m an undergraduate student at theSchool of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagasaki University.
As I was brought up in Nagasaki, every summer in both primary and secondary school,
I used to learn about the history of Nagasaki and joined peace events held in school. We had opportunities
to listen to the voices of the victims of the atomic bomb, and all the stories were so real, sad, andunforgettable. They were really trying to tell us “No more war, never!”I went to a high school in Saga prefecture, and that was the time I realized that many of my friends fromother prefectures did not know much about the atomic bomb in Nagasaki. I was very shocked to know that,and I strongly felt that I had to do something as a citizen of Nagasaki to help spread information andknowledge about what happened in the previous war. Victims of the atomic bomb are getting old year byyear, and I feel it is our role to pass on their messages to peers and younger generations.
Now that I am a college student, I am happy participating in various peace activities. I also got motivatedto join peace activities by seeing the devastated situation of people in the Ukraine War. I am now learningthat there are many people and areas exposed to the fear of nuclear weapons in the current world, and thatthe issue of elimination of nuclear weapons is very complicated. But it is an issue that affects everyone in
the world. It is about our future. I would like to obtain more knowledge and skills to be able to joindiscussions for peace with other young people not only in Japan but also in the world. As a member of theNagasaki Youth Delegation, I am interested in establishing a wider network of youth with peers from othercountries.
“No one is too small to make a difference”-Greta Thunberg.
I believe in this phrase. I wish to do my best.

Asumi Imaoka / Faculty of Environmental Science, Nagasaki University
I am Asumi Imaoka, a first-year student in the Faculty of Environmental Science atNagasaki University. I was born in Tokyo and raised in Fukuoka.
When I was a high school student, I got interests in various social issues throughextracurricular activities. I realized that I thought that war and nuclear issues were somehow old anddistant stories for me, and did not see them as my problems. However, I learned about the humanitariancrises that have been going on for a long time or that have begun to occur again, and when I came toNagasaki, I saw with my own eyes the traces of war and the atomic bombing that had robbed people oftheir peaceful lives. These experiences have helped me to gradually begin to see the issues of war andnuclear weapons as issues that are happening now and that are relevant to me.

Nagasaki Youth Delegation 2023
One goal I would like to achieve through the activities of the Nagasaki Youth Delegation is to learn
about war and nuclear issues not as “history” but as “issues that are happening now” and to share what I
have learned with many people.
I would like to learn war and nuclear issues from various perspectives as a person who lives in the place
where no wars are happening now.
And as a student who studies environmental science, I also would like to learn about their effects onanimals and the natural environment.
And I hereby pledge to be a member of creating a truly peaceful world.

Tatsuhito Kaji / School of Global Humanities and Social Sciences, Nagasaki University
Hello! My name is Tatsuhito Kaji, a second-year student at Nagasaki University’s
Faculty of SGHSS. I was born in Osaka Prefecture and moved to Nagasaki Prefecture
when I entered the university. Even though I am from Osaka, my hometown is in thecountryside, so I was surprised at how big Hakata was. I like the phrase, “Miracles do notjust happen, but you make them happen!” Miracles do not happen by doing nothing. You can always get
something by acting. As a result of people around the world continuing to move forward, even in small
movements, Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which was said to be impossible, entered intoforce on January 22, 2021. Although there are some who argue that the treaty is meaningless because it has
not been ratified by industrially advanced countries and nuclear-weapon states, it can at least be said thatthe hurdle for the use of nuclear weapons has been dramatically raised by the treaty’s entry into force. Japan
currently has no formally established peace studies program. Unless you grew up in Nagasaki or Hiroshima
Prefecture, nuclear weapons are only briefly mentioned in history textbooks. As a native of Osaka
Prefecture, I moved to Nagasaki Prefecture and felt the gap in awareness of nuclear weapons. It is a small
step, a small action, but I would like to share the activities of the Nagasaki Youth Delegation with as manypeople as possible to eliminate this gap and realize the abolition of nuclear weapons, which is said to be
impossible. Thank you for your cooperation.

Kazuha Suehiro / School of Global Humanities and Social Sciences, Nagasaki University
Hello. I am Kazuha Suehiro, a first-year student in the School of Global Humanities
and Social Science, SGHSS at Nagasaki University. I was born and raised in Hiroshima,
an atomic bombed city. I came to Nagasaki when I entered university. In Hiroshima, I had
many opportunities to hear about the A-bomb and war experiences, and those are my motivation to engage

Nagasaki Youth Delegation 2023
in peace activities which I could do to help eliminate war and nuclear weapons. What left a particularly
strong impression on me was my participation as a volunteer staff member of the “Gathering for Peace,” anevent held by Pope Francis in Hiroshima. It was held when I was a first-year high school student. Seeing
the Pope give a speech to the world made me want to share what I had learned and thought with more
people. Also, I want to be able to create opportunities for people to think about peace. Even though I don’t
have as much influence as the Pope, I believe that I can convey something important because I am a student
who was raised and studied in the A-bombed city. As a member of Nagasaki Youth Delegation, I will learn
about nuclear weapons and world situation through fieldwork and meetings. I will learn how world leaders
view the current world situation by attending international conferences. I would like to share the knowledge
that I have gained, our feelings and thoughts through activities. I would like to share what I learned andwhat I felt and thought by delivering peace lectures, exchanging opinions with ambassadors of othercountries, updating SNS, and giving presentations.

Chinami Hirabayashi / Faculty of Education, Nagasaki University
Hello everyone. I’m Chinami Hirabayashi and I belong to the department of education
at Nagasaki University. I was born and raised in Nagasaki as a grandchild of atomic bomb
victim, and I received peace education at elementary, junior high and high school. Also, I
studied atomic bomb and international affairs and exchanged opinions with students ofvarious faculties at university. Then I realized that not every student gets peace education and understands
what happened in Nagasaki and Hiroshima 78 years ago even in Japan which is the only nation to havesuffered atomic bombings. I was really surprised and shocked. At the same time, I also knew that I could
not tell the horror of nuclear weapons correctly. In addition to this, there is a risk of another use of nuclear
weapons under the tense situation. Therefore, I made up my mind to act for achieving nuclear weapons
free world. This is the reason why I decided to become a member of Nagasaki Youth Delegation. As amember of the 11th NYD, I would like to tell the importance of peace as many people as possible with myteammates. Thank you for your cooperation.

Noa Yasumoto / Faculty of International Cultural Studies, Kwassui Women's University
Hello. My name is Noa Yasumoto. I’m the sophomore in the Faculty of International
Cultural Studies at Kwassui Women’s University. I am from Nagasaki and mygrandparents were atomic bomb survivors, so I have been interested in peace activities
since I was a child. I thought that even if I could not do something on my own, I could take a step toward aNagasaki Youth Delegation 2023
nuclear-free world by working together with people who have same ambition with diverse ideas. I am happy
to be able to work as a member of the 11th Nagasaki Youth Delegation.
In peace activities, I think it is important to build equal relationships with people of different
nationalities, religions, and ways of thinking. As long as we are on equal footing, we can solve problems
through discussion rather than force, I think. However, there are countries in the world that possess nuclear
weapons, countries that do not possess nuclear weapons, and countries that are protected by the “nuclearumbrella”. Countries that do not possess nuclear weapons or are protected by the “nuclear umbrella” areconstantly threatened by nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons are harmful to human beings, and there is noadvantage to possessing nuclear weapons. However, there are many people in the world who believe that
nuclear weapons are necessary. Therefore, it may take many years to achieve a world without nuclear
weapons, but if we do not take action, this situation will not change and there may be more A-bombed cities
following Nagasaki. Not only our activities, I think it is also important to lower the hurdles to peace activities.
As a member of 11th Nagasaki Youth Delegation, also as a student and a young generation living inNagasaki, I will seek to create impetus for peace activities, and as well as, I myself will seriously face thisissue, deepen my knowledge and thoughts, and not only keep them to myself but also share and convey
them with others.

Sakura Yamamoto / School of Global Humanities and Social Sciences, Nagasaki University
My name is Sakura Yamamoto. I’m a first-year student at School of Global Humanities
and Social Sciences, Nagasaki University. I was born and grew up in Fukuoka city.
To be honest, I had no interests in nuclear issues when I was in high school. However, theRussian invasion made me realize that I had taken peace for granted and I shouldn’t ignore war issues.
In addition, through peace education at university, I realized how little I knew about war problems.
Learning the horrors of wars from bombing victims and their families in Nagasaki, I gradually came to thinkthat I’d like to participate in peace activities.
Another reason why I became a member of Nagasaki Youth delegation is that the number of people whohave experienced WWII has been dramatically decreasing. Therefore, young generations should succeed
their desire: no more hibakusha/bombing victims. If we don’t make any actions now, their voice will be lost,
and the tragedy of the atomic bombing may be repeated.
As a member of Nagasaki Youth Delegation, I will do my best to realize a world without nuclear weapons.