Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation

July 2023

vol.1 No.89 (semiannual)Children who decorated G7 welcome board with flowers they had
grown (Photo courtesy: Hiroshima Municipal Nakajima Elementary
School)Welcome board “G7 HIROSHIMA”

CONTENTS
Photo “Children who decorated G7 welcome board with flowers
they had grown” (Nakajima Elementary School)…………………………… ❶“After the G7 Hiroshima Summit” (Takehiro KAGAWA)…………………… ❷Messages from World Leaders……………………………………………… ❸Hiroshima G7 Summit Junior Conference………………………………… ❹“The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Has Gainedin Importance” (Thomas Hajnoczi)………………………………………… ❺“Peace Studies and a ‘Culture of Peace’” (Ryo OSHIBA)………………… ❻Memoir of the A-bombing “How Important Peace Is”(Tomiko WAKATAMA)………………………………………………………… ❼The 10th General Conference of Mayors for Peace……………………… ❾Letter of Request to Abolish Nuclear Weapons and theHiroshima Appeal Submitted / Hiroshima-Nagasaki Atomic Bomband Peace Exhibition in Poland……………………………………………… ⓫Mayors for Peace Internship………………………………………………… ⓬July 2023

PEACE CULTURE No.89

After the G7 Hiroshima Summit
The G7 Hiroshima Summit 2023 washeld from May 19 to 21. The leadersof the G7 member states, such as U.S.
President Biden and French President
Macron came to the atomic bombed cityof Hiroshima, and this historic meeting
was also attended by the leaders of eight
invited countries, including India andSouth Korea, and the heads of international organizations
as well as Ukraine’s President Zelensky.
All the participating leaders visited Peace Memorial Museum, listened to the experiences and stories of the hibakusha, and offered flowers to the Cenotaph for the Victimsof the Atomic Bomb, where Hiroshima Mayor Matsui
explained its inscription to them. Through all those events,
they were guided by Prime Minister Kishida himself. Thereis no doubt that they were deeply moved by the reality of
the atomic bombing, in other words, G7 Summit had a great
impact on the world leaders.
What the leaders of the G7 countries wrote in the Guest
Book clearly indicate that they understand their heavy responsibility to make a great effort toward the realization ofa world without nuclear weapons. Having felt the “Spiritof Hiroshima” seeking for peace and abolition of nuclear weapons, they have deepened their belief that nuclear
weapons must never be used again.
Among this year’s G7 Summit invitees, India, Brazil, Indonesia, known as the Global South, their influence on theworld is now growing remarkably, though the diplomatic
positions of these countries vary in a way. Therefore, it
must be significant that the leaders of these countries were
exposed to the reality of the atomic bombing for the firsttime and were touched by the “Spirit of Hiroshima”.
The visit of the South Korean president to Hiroshima has
never happened before. It is really noteworthy that both theJapanese and Korean leaders offered flowers together to “theMonument Dedicated to Korean Victims and Survivors”
in the Peace Memorial Park, which was surely fulfilling along-held wish of the Korean hibakusha.
I also feel it valuable that President Zelensky of Ukraine,

Takehiro KAGAWA

Chairperson of the Hiroshima
Peace Culture Foundation

which has been invaded by Russia and now being threatened by using nuclear weapons, came to Hiroshima to touchdirectly the reality of the atomic bombing and to meet withthe world leaders in person. We must never allow armed
aggression or nuclear threats, much less the use of nuclear
weapons, to threaten the peaceful daily lives of innocent
citizens or human existence. The G7 and the international
community should make every effort to end the war of aggression and restore Ukraine as soon as possible.
At the G7 Hiroshima Summit, an independent document
entitled “G7 Leaders’ Hiroshima Vision on Nuclear Disarmament” was drafted and presented for the first time in thehistory of the G7 Summit. There are some criticisms about
the document, for instance, the lack of reference to theTreaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and putting
priority on Nuclear Deterrence rather than Nuclear Disarmament. However, it is really required to take concrete actions to mobilize the voices of the people of the world andto urge all nations, including the nuclear weapon states, topromote nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation efforts
incorporated in the document, whereby linking all these endeavors to concrete policies and actions for a world without
nuclear weapons.
The G7 Hiroshima Summit has brought the world’s attention to the atomic bombed city of Hiroshima. This is thegreatest opportunity and a new start for the peace movement that Hiroshima has been engaged in. I hope that more
and more people from around the world, especially theyounger generation, will visit Hiroshima to learn about thereality of the atomic bombing and convey “Spirit of Hiroshima” back to their countries and communities.
We, the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation, will strive
to expand and strengthen such solidarity for peace at thecitizen’s level around the world, and we believe that theestablishment of a culture of peace in civil society at large
will lead to policy changes in one country and eventuallychanging destiny in the world. Let’s work together.
Lastly, we would like to express our cordial appreciation
for your continued support and cooperation.

Mayor Matsui explains to the G7 leadersG7 heads of state and government offer flowers at the Cenotaph

2(Photo Source)
Website of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan: “G7 HIROSHIMA 2023”
https://www.g7hiroshima.go.jp/en/

PEACE CULTURE No.89

Messages from World Leaders

On May 19, the G7 leaders visited the Peace Memorial Museum
and signed the guest book.

G7 nations
Mr. KISHIDA Fumio, Prime Minister of JapanAs Chair of the G7, I am gathering here to realize a “World
Without Nuclear Weapons” with the leaders of G7 countries
on this historic occasion of the G7 Summit. (Provisionaltranslation)
Mr. Emmanuel MACRON, President of the French
Republic
With emotion and compassion, it is our responsibility tocontribute to the duty of remembrance for the victims of
Hiroshima and to act in favor of peace, the only fight worth
pursuing. (Provisional translation)
Mr. Joseph Robinette BIDEN, Jr., President of theUnited States of America
May the stories of this Museum remind us all of ourobligations to build a future of peace. Together - let us
continue to make progress toward the day when we canfinally and forever rid the world of nuclear weapons. Keepthe faith!
Mr. Justin TRUDEAU, Prime Minister of Canada
Canada pays solemn tribute to the many lives lost, theunspeakable grief of the Hibakusha, and the immense
suffering of the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Your story will forever be engraved in our collective
consciousness. (Provisional translation)
Mr. Olaf SCHOLZ, Chancellor of the Federal
Republic of Germany
This place evokes unimaginable suffering. Today, together
with our partners, we renew the commitment to defend
peace and freedom with utmost determination. A nuclear
war must never be waged again. (Provisional translation)
Ms. Giorgia MELONI, President of the Council of
Ministers of the Italian Republic
Today we pause and remain in prayer. Today we rememberthat darkness did not prevail. Today we remember the past
to build, together, a future of hope. (Provisional translation)

July 2023

Mr. Rishi SUNAK MP, Prime Minister of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Shakespeare tells us to “give sorrow words”. Yet language
fails in the light of the bomb’s flash. No words can describe
the horror and suffering of the people of Hiroshima andNagasaki. But what we can say, with all our hearts, and all
our souls, is no more.
Mr. Charles MICHEL, President of the European
Council
An immense tragedy took place here almost 80 years ago.
It reminds us what we -as G7- are defending. And why weare defending it. Peace and freedom. Because it's what all
human beings want most.
Dr. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European
Commission
What happened in Hiroshima is still today haunting
humanity. It is a sterk reminder of the terrible cost of war and our everlasting duty to protect and preserve peace.

UkraineMr. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine
Deeply impressed by the visit to the (Peace Memorial)
Museum. No country in the world should experience such
pain and destruction.
Nuclear threat has noplace in today’s world.
(Provisional translation)

On May 21, President Zelenskyy
visited the Peace Memorial Museum
and signed the guest book.

(Source)
Website of Ministry ofForeign Affairs of Japan:“G7 HIROSHIMA
2023”
https://www.
g7hiroshima.go.jp/en/“G7 HIROSHIMA 2023”(Messages of G7 Leaders)
https://www.g7hiroshima.go.jp/en/
topics/detail014/(Massage of Ukrainian President)
https://www.g7japan-photo.go.jp/en/
images/89

3

July 2023

Hiroshima G7 Summit Junior Conference
Voices sent out from Hiroshima to the World

Twenty-four high school students from G7 countries living
in Japan gathered in Hiroshima from March 27 to 30.
On the 28th, they participated in a common peace program that included a tour of Peace Memorial Museum andHonkawa Elementary School Peace Museum, a visit to the
Cenotaph for the Atomic Bomb Victims, offering flowers,
listening to the A-bomb survivor testimony, and a tour of
Peace Memorial Park. Many participants, seeing the realityof the atomic bombings for the first time, said “we must
share with the world the inhumane consequences of nuclear
weapons and pass them on to future generations.”
They were also divided into three thematic groups for further discussions: Peace, Sustainability, and Diversity & Inclusion. On the 29th,
each group went
on a fieldwork trip
based on its theme.
Among them, thePeace group visited
the Ohkunoshima
Poison Gas Museum.
On the last day, the Tour of Honkawa Elementary School Peace
groups presented the Museum (photograph provided by theoutcome document. Citizens Council for the Hiroshima Summit)(The document)
https://www.pref.hiroshima.lg.jp/uploaded/attachment/526659.pdf<Comments from participants: on Peace>※Quote their words verbatim〇  When comparing the horrendous images of Hiroshima after the atomic bombing to the beautiful city it has
become today, it gave me hope that with united efforts,
we can make anything possible. Just like the people ofHiroshima.
〇  In peace tour I was able to visit and learn facts and stories of I never knew of the war even though I have been
living in Japan, and have gone through Japanese peaceeducation. I strongly felt that the victim of the war was
not only the Japanese people but everyone in relation to
war in any shape.
〇  I have learned so much during this experience, I
learned about the nuclear bombing, but I was also exposed to many different opinions and thoughts whichhave led me to have a more open mind but also to standfor the things I strongly believe in.
〇  The most impressive memory for me is that Hiroshima
is not only a victim but also an assailant. I have neverthought that Hiroshima was also an assailant before I
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PEACE CULTURE No.89

visited Ohkunoshima island. From this experience, I
think I need to have various perspectives to look international issues.
<Comments from participants: on the overall program>※Quote their words verbatim〇  I gained so much new knowledge from the places I visited, and most importantly, through the interaction withall the people I met throughout the program.
〇  I'm sincerely grateful that I was able to participate inthis program and I enjoyed every minute of it. Sharing
thoughts and feelings, exchanging knowledge, and generating ideas with the team were really fun. And I believe my communication skill has improved through thisprogram.
〇  I learned how each one of us can think in multiple ways
according to our backgrounds, how our prior knowledge
can intertwine with others, and how we can develop
them to embrace each other.
〇  Because we have responsibility for our future, we, theyoung generation should continue to talk each other beyond the boarder.

Impressions of Youth Peace Volunteer who
guided Junior Conference participants

I am Yu Marukawa, a member of the first group of Youth
Peace Volunteers. I have been guiding foreign tourists visiting Peace Memorial Park in English since I was in first yearof high school, and this year is my fifth year. When I firststarted, I was struggling just to read the script, but throughmy experience, I realized that the important thing is to convey the message in my own words. Now, I try to guide people by preparing my own photos and other materials thatwill resonate with them.
This time, four volunteer members guided high school
students representing the G7 countries. The high school
students listened to us very seriously. They asked questions
even while we were moving around, and it was impressive
to see them actively learning about the reality of the atomic
bombings. This made us feel that we, as guides, need tocontinue to learn more about the A-bombing.
We hope that the people we have guided so far, includingthese high school students, will share what they have learned
about the atomic bombing with those around them, even if
only a little, and thatthe desire for peace
will spread. As Youth
Peace Volunteers,
we will continue tocommunicate peace
to as many people aspossible.
Ms. Marukawa working as a guide

PEACE CULTURE No.89

July 2023

The Treaty on theProhibition of Nuclear
Weapons Has Gained inImportanceThomas Hajnoczi

Executive Adviser of the Hiroshima
Peace Culture Foundation

2022 brought a wake-up call for the world that the myth onwhich nuclear deterrence is built is not true. Russia’s war
against Ukraine proved that nuclear weapons do not serve
as a deterrent against wars, but on the contrary make themmore likely. President Putin calculated that Russia’s nuclear weapons are a kind of free ticket to start wars against
non-nuclear states, since they will interdict other big powers
to fight on the side of Ukraine. The widely held assumptionthat the possession of nuclear weapons due to their inherent
terrible dangers would prevent aggression wars started by
nuclear powers did not stand the test of reality. It became
evident that nuclear weapons do not save us from wars thateven might involve the use of nuclear weapons as threatened by Russia’s leaders. Clearly international security andglobal stability cannot rest on nuclear weapons which posethe greatest danger to human survival.
The recently augmented “Russian threat” led to an increase in defense spending and a strengthening of alliances
both in Europe and East Asia. Sadly, a longing for a stronger nuclear link has been also raised by some allies. The
carefully measured American response to Russia’s nuclear
threats in Ukraine showed the responsible attitude of the US
administration aiming at not to use nuclear weapons. Most
probably rational leaders would not defend attacked allies
by nuclear weapons. They would not be willing to sacrificethe lives of millions of their own population for any othernation.
Table top exercises of senior US commanders have shownthat there is a high likelihood that the detonation of only
one nuclear weapon would trigger a full-scale nuclear exchange extinguishing our civilization. As the nuclear weapons states themselves have expressed in January 2022, “nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought”. The
use of nuclear weapons would trigger collective suicide.
Therefore, they cannot be regarded as a credible security
policy option and hence not as a realistic means for providing security to their possessors or their allies.
Last December, in spite of his previous threats, President
Putin underlined that “we have not gone mad”, denying
any intention to use nuclear weapons in his aggression war
against Ukraine. Indeed, he was right, it would be utter
madness to use nuclear weapons. Yet, we have witnessed
recently irrational behavior of leaders of nuclear armed
states, so can we rely on that they will not commit a deathbringing mistake? As long as nuclear weapons exist, they
could detonate both intentionally as well as unintentionallyby accident or misunderstanding. We could relive the cata-strophic humanitarian consequences of Hiroshima and Nagasaki tomorrow at vastly bigger scale. Since 1945 nuclear
weapons have become deadlier, more powerful and manytimes more numerous, at present about 12,700. Therefore,
the only way to save mankind from the grave dangers that
nuclear weapons bring about is to end nuclear weapons, before the end us.
The abolition of nuclear weapons is the objective of theunited world community, but the nuclear armed states failto take the necessary measures. Therefore, the non-nuclear states called for negotiations on a legally binding norm
to prohibit nuclear weapons in 2016 in the UN General
Assembly, the most representative international body. It
was thus decided by an overwhelming majority. Sadly, thenuclear armed states and almost all of their allies boycotted
the negotiations. Paradoxically they acknowledge that a legal ban has led to the abolition of the other classes of weapons of mass destruction, chemical and biological weapons
and yet fail to explain why it would not work with nuclear
weapons. When 121 states adopted the text of the Treaty on
the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in July 2017,a powerful norm has been created.
As of January 2023, 92 states have signed and 68 ratified
the TPNW, as more states are preparing to do so during thisyear. These figures continue to go up since its entry into
force in January 2021. The significance of the TPNW became visible, when its First Meeting of States Parties was
successfully held in June 2022 in Vienna. The Declaration
adopted by the Meeting condemned unequivocally any andall nuclear threats, whether they be explicit or implicit andirrespective of the circumstances, and established that any
threat to use nuclear weapons was unacceptable. This hasremained the strongest condemnation of the Russian nuclear threat to date by a global multilateral forum. A numberof important decisions on the implementation of the treaty
were taken, e.g. the creation of a Scientific Advisory Committee. This reflects that civil society and scientists canand do play an important role. Surprisingly, in other nuclear disarmament fora hardly any attention is paid to theirknowledge. A program of intersessional work was decided
corroborating the vibrancy of this treaty. Informal working
groups are dealing with victim assistance, environmental
remediation, international cooperation and assistance, universalization and work related to the designation of a competent international authority to oversee the destruction of
nuclear weapons. In November 2023 the Second Meetingof States Parties will be held in New York.
The TPNW and the outcome of its successful First Meeting of States Parties already has made an impact on all
countries, including those who oppose it and still cling on
to nuclear weapons. The treaty’s underlying key message
that nuclear weapons are banned has changed the international discourse regarding nuclear weapons. Even the Secretary-General of NATO said last autumn that “any use of
nuclear weapons is absolutely unacceptable”, a thought thatwas mirrored in a speech by the German Chancellor Scholz.
The summit of the G20 in Indonesia in which most leadersof nuclear weapon states and also the Japanese Prime Minister participated declared in November 2022 that threats5

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PEACE CULTURE No.89

and use of nuclear weapons are “inadmissible”.
The war in Ukraine is a humanitarian catastrophe and has
destroyed our hopes that armed state aggression against
a neighboring country would be a matter of the past. The
Russian threats of using nuclear weapons brought home tothe international community that nuclear weapons could be
used as long as they exist and therefore pose the greatest
danger to human survival.
The Doomsday clock has come the closest to midnight
ever, only 90 seconds to a nuclear war. In this desperatesituation we ask ourselves, do we want to constantly live
under a dangling sword of nuclear weapons? If you answer
this question with a no, as the clear majority of people does,
then nuclear weapons abolition based on the TPNW is thecourse to take. The TPNW offers not only a glimmer ofhope, but also the key to an alternative to a world held hostage by nuclear weapons and opens the door to international
security without them. The TPNW has gained in importanceby increased international support and recognition, by theongoing implementation work. It is more needed than ever.

"Thinking about Peace"

Peace Studies anda “Culture of Peace”

Ryo OSHIBA

Director of the Hiroshima Peace
Institute and Specially Appointed
Professor, Hiroshima City University
Board of Directors, Hiroshima Peace
Culture Foundation

1. Introduction
Hiroshima City established the Hiroshima Peace Culture
Foundation in 1976 with the vision of realizing an International Peace Culture City. The foundation holds lecturesand events during Peace Culture Month in November eachyear.
Thus, the term “culture of peace” is familiar to Hiroshima
citizens. However, when asked what a culture of peace is,
it is not always easy to answer. Therefore, we would like toconsider the meaning of the term “culture of peace” and its
implications.
2. “Culture of Peace” in the Peace Declaration
Firstly, let us look at how the term is used in the 2022
Peace Declarations of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui stated that the Mayors
for Peace “will intensify cooperation among peace-mindedmember cities and promote a “culture of peace” that rejects
all forms of violence. Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue said,“Let us make untiring efforts to ingrain in civil society a‘culture of peace’ that spreads trust, respects others andseeks resolutions through dialogue.”
3. Violence and peace in peace research
Nextly, let us consider the “culture of peace” with refer6

ence to discussions in peace studies. Johan Galtung, one of
the leading scholars in peace studies, has juxtaposed peacewith violence, presenting three types of violence: direct violence, structural violence, and cultural violence.
Briefly stated, direct violence is when someone directly
harms another person, or when an army kills or injures anenemy soldier in war, for example. In contrast, structural
violence exists when people, especially certain groups ofpeople, die or suffer great damage, even though it is difficult to see who is committing the violence or the act of violence itself. For example, many people lose lives that would
otherwise be spared because they lack access to adequate
medical care due to poverty. We also say that if one million
husbands beat one million wives, that is direct violence, but
if one million husbands keep one million wives ignorantand uneducated, that is structural violence. Finally, cultural
violence refers to the idea that direct violence and structural
violence are acceptable and justified by society’s morals,
traditions, and customs.
Only when such violence is rejected and removed, and violence is absent, is there considered to be peace. A situationin which direct violence is absent is called direct peace, aworld without structural violence is called structural peace,and a situation in which cultural violence is absent, anddirect peace and structural peace are legitimized, is called
cultural peace. Moreover, when there is a situation where
cultural peace prevails in a society and this can be said to bea characteristic of that society’s culture, such a culture canbe called a “culture of peace”. However, forcibly imposing
a “culture of peace” is still violence.
Regarding specific events, direct violence is easier to understand, whereas for structural and cultural violence, there
is not always consensus on what constitutes them.
4. Efforts to create a “culture of peace” in the
A-bombed cities
What efforts have been made in the A-bombed cities topromote a “culture of peace”?
The people affected by the atomic bombings have encountered many different types of violence. The atomic bombs
were a complete destruction of human dignity. They also
caused suffering from anxiety about the effects of radiation
and related discrimination. Arguments to justify the atomic
bombings on the grounds that they were dropped to end thewar quickly have caused anger and grief.
Nevertheless, in order to ensure that the deaths of those
who died in the atomic bombings were not in vain andthat nuclear weapons are not used repeatedly, those who
were affected by the atomic bombings have conveyed theirown experiences and memories of the bombings, appealed
against the inhumanity of nuclear weapons, and called
for their abolition. They have also addressed the issue ofJapan’s responsibility for the war and have turned theirattention to non-Japanese people affected by the atomic
bombings. In abstract terms, they have sought to eliminate
not only direct violence but also structural and cultural violence. I believe that each of these efforts will create andentrench a “culture of peace”.
However, it is also important to ask ourselves what dis-PEACE CULTURE No.89

July 2023

Memoir of the A-bombing

How Important Peace Is
Tomiko WAKAYAMA

Atomic bomb survivor registered with
our Foundation

Planting of a second-generation A-bombed Aogiri tree
(Provided by the City of Kunitachi, Tokyo)

crepancies exist between the self-image of the people of the
A-bombed cities and how they are perceived by people inother parts of the country and abroad, and why such gaps
exist.
5. Conclusion
There is still a war going on in Ukraine. In addition, many
people have been exposed to various forms of violence dueto the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident. We can encourage these people
by sharing the work we have been doing in the A-bombed
cities, especially with those who were affected by the atomic bombings.
Solidarity across cities, countries, and issues will become
increasingly important. Solidarity with people at home andabroad through Mayors for Peace, the United Nations, andother organizations, as well as striving for the abolition of
nuclear weapons and the elimination of various forms ofviolence in other issues, will help to entrench a “culture ofpeace” without forcibly imposing it.

Profile〔Ryo OSHIBA〕

Director and Specially Appointed Professor, Hiroshima Peace
Institute, Hiroshima City University. Specializes in International
Politics.
After serving as Professor and Vice President of Hitotsubashi
University and Professor at Aoyama Gakuin University, heassumed his current position in 2019. He is a former Presidentof the Japan Association for International Politics.

“A huge bomb will fall on Hiroshima”
I was 6 years old at the time, a 1st grade student at the national elementary school. My home was in Teppo-cho (900mfrom the Hypocenter). There were four of us living there:
my father (aged 40), my mother (aged 33), my younger
sister (aged 2) and me. School classes were held, but since
it was during the war, I remember that in most classes wewere taught to hide under our desks or in safe places to protect ourselves from air raids.
My mother told me that at the time, flyers were fallingfrom the sky saying that a big bomb was going to fall on
Hiroshima, and my father firmly told my mother to leave
the city, so we evacuated to her parents’ house in Kochi
Village, Futami County. My father had a job and was the
caretaker of the town, so he stayed in Hiroshima.
On August 7, 1945, I heard someone say “Yesterday, thebiggest bomb ever seen fell on Hiroshima.” Since we wereunable to contact my father, on August 9, my aunt andmother took my sister and I and the four of us went to Hiroshima City to look for him.
To Hiroshima
After walking about 6km from Kochi Village, we arrived
at Miyoshi Station. People who had been exposed to theatomic bomb in Hiroshima were even being brought to Miyoshi Station, which is about 60km away from the Hypocenter. Their hair was burnt out and gone, their faces wereswollen and reddish-black, and their eyes were smashed in;it was hard to tell if they were male or female. A dirty graycloth was draped from the neck down and they were carriedin on stretchers. We asked each other, “Do you see father
among those people?” And the four of us looked into theirfaces, but none of them was him. I was six years old andcould not help but wonder how they got such big, swollen,
reddish-black faces. I still remember that scene.
We took a train from Miyoshi Station to Hiroshima Station. Stepping outside, I was surprised to see that buildings
had burned down as far as the eye could see, and the cityof Hiroshima seemed to have disappeared. The ground wasstill hot in some places. We walked around searching for
my father in various places, including the air-raid shelter ofour home in Hiroshima, but could not find him. That day,we spent the night sitting on the ground under the eaves ofthe building of the police station near Hiroshima Station,
where a relative worked.
We left there early the next morning on the 10 th andwalked back toward Teppo-cho. I saw a person resting
against a charred tree root, and I said, “Oh, that could bedad!” I ran to him and looked into his face. I walked aroundlooking for my father, checking one by one, many people
7

July 2023

resting on the roadside or in the square. The people sitting
or lying down were all naked. Not only their faces but also
their whole bodies were puffy and discolored reddish-black,and they looked to me as if they were sumo wrestler ghosts.
My father and mother had previously promised that theywould go to an acquaintance’s house in Ushita if something
terrible happened, so we went to the house and found that myfather had evacuated there. When my father was at home when
the bomb was dropped, a large pillar fell on his head and he
was so badly injured that his brain was visible, and a whitecloth was draped over his head. I could see his eyes throughthe cloth and clearly recognized him as my father when hecalled my name, “Oh, is that Tomiko?” I still remember how
relieved and happy I was that I had finally found him.

“Blood-red burnt corpses”
Created by: Taichi Kuwahara and Tomiko Wakayama

My father diesMy father had a severe head injury but did not appear tohave been burned. My mother’s sister, who lived in Yano-cho, Aki County, rented a big two-wheeled cart to carry
my father and came to pick him up, so we went to stay at
her house.
In Yano-cho, my mother carried my father in a small
wheelbarrow used for carrying things, for regular treatment
at a nearby hospital. My father’s head wound had maggots
coming out of it, which were removed at the hospital. My
father was saying, “My chest burns, my chest is painful.”
Everyone was talking about how he must be having chest
pains because he inhaled gas. It was not until much laterthat we learned that he had actually inhaled radioactive material, not gas. At that time, no one knew about radiation.
School resumed on September 1, and I was transferredfrom Nobori-cho National School to a school in Kochi Village, where I lived with my mother’s family.
On September 14, my mother came to Kochi Village withmy sister on her back and my father’s remains in her arms,
saying, “Your father is dead.” Before he died, my father
told my mother, “I don’t want to die yet...take care of Tomiko and the others.”
Exposure due to residual radiation
In August, when our family was staying at my aunt’s housein Yano, my mother once went to our family air-raid shelterat our home in Teppo-cho and brought back a can of milk she
8PEACE CULTURE No.89

had stored inside. The can that had been exposed to the bomb
was deformed, and when opened, the powdered milk had
hardened like candy. We hit it with a hammer, broke it into
pieces, and ate them saying, “Delicious, delicious.”
Later, when I was living in Kochi Village, I was in thesecond grade and my face and hands and feet were covered
with boils. I remember my mother giving me a herbal infusion to drink. She did all kinds of things to help me. In
addition, my gums began to bleed, but I could not tell mymother about it as I did not want to worry her any morethan I already was. Now that I think about it, I believe that
I became ill because of radioactive contamination, as I
walked around Hiroshima City immediately after the bombing looking for my father and eat powdered milk that had
been exposed to radiation.
My family was taken care of by my mother’s family for the
next ten years, and thanks to them, we did not have to worry about having enough to eat. When I was in my first yearof commercial studies at Miyoshi High School, my motherfound a job in Hiroshima, so I transferred to Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial High School in my second year.
When I graduated from high school, I was worried because
I had heard a rumor that it was difficult for children fromsingle-parent families to find jobs, but thankfully I was able
to find a job and worked there for six years. During a job
interview, at the end of the interview, the interviewer asked
me, “By the way, do you remember your father who passed
away?” When I answered, “Yes, I only remember a little
bit, but...” tears started to stream down my face. I think, inthe back of my mind, I always missed my father. I unexpectedly burst into tears and went home sobbing. I felt somuch loneliness without my father, and I was so sad.
Grateful for peace
I have been anemic and had low blood pressure since I
was young. At age 65 I had surgery for breast cancer. I also
receive regular medical treatment for a thyroid condition.
My sister had surgery for colon cancer and uterine fibroids.
My mother continued to work despite her anemia and low
blood pressure, and she raised us sisters. She never said thisto me directly, but I heard that to others she said “I didn’t
have time to cry. I was so busy trying to feed my two children that I didn’t have time to cry.”I never want people today to go through the hard, sad experience that we did. What I would like to share with you
is how important peace is in life. And that having parents,
brothers and sisters, grandparents, and friends is a blessing.
It is not a “natural” thing that we can take for granted.
Please, everyone, value your own life. Please value thelives of your friends as much as you value your own. Let’s
get along with each other. Let us talk and understand eachother. I believe this is the starting point for world peace.

Profile〔Tomiko WAKAYAMA〕

At the age of six, in the first grade of elementary school, threedays after the atomic bombing, Tomiko Wakayama went withher family into Hiroshima City to look for her father.
She has been giving A-bomb experience lectures at theHiroshima Peace Culture Foundation since 2016, after firstsharing her own experience in 2014.

PEACE CULTURE No.89

The 10 th General Conferenceof Mayors for Peace
On October 19 and 20, Mayors for Peace held its 10th General Conference in Hiroshima with the keynote theme of“Creating a Peaceful, Nuclear-Weapon-Free World: Cultivating a Culture of Peace in Civil Society.”
Opening Ceremony
The General Conference opened with a video commemorating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Mayors
for Peace and reflecting on its 40 years of progress.
In his opening remarks at the Opening Ceremony, President Matsui, Mayor of Hiroshima, stated that we mustencourage policymakers to effect changes in their policies
toward the realization of a peaceful world free from nuclear
weapons and focus even more on cultivating the culture ofpeace with the momentum gained from the G7 summit tobe held in Hiroshima next year (2023).

July 2023

Session I
The Conference, chaired by Mayor Matsui, deliberated
over “Establishment of the Mayors for Peace Supporter
System” and more, and adopted them as originally proposed.
By using social media to attract mainly the younger generation, the Mayors for Peace Supporter System is to build
a consensus in civil society in favor of the realization of apeaceful, nuclear-weapon-free world, which will urge policymakers to effect policy change.
Session II
Mr. Thomas Hajnoczi, Executive Advisor of Mayors for
Peace served as the Moderator, the Conference participants
discussed member city roles and engagement in creating apeaceful future free of nuclear weapons through the presentations by member cities―Mayor Alba Barnusell of Granollers, Spain; Ms. Alia Hassan-Cournol, City Councillorof Montreal, Canada; Mayor Belit Onay of Hannover, Germany; Mayor Kazuo Nagami of Kunitachi, Japan.
Commemorative Lecture
Former Under-Secretary-General and an advocator of the“Culture of Peace”, Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury
gave the Commemorative Lecture that themed “Advancing
the Culture of Peace to Create a Better World with Communities at the Center”. He stated that real peace means theend of discrimination, prejudice, injustice, and inequality,
and concluded his lecture by calling for the participants toadvance the culture of peace together, with words of encouragement stating that cities have the potential to shape
the future of humankind and to achieve sustainable peaceand development for a better world.

Opening remarks by President Matsui

And in a video message of support for the Conference
from United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres,
he stating that nuclear risks are accelerating but we cannot
give up.
Hibakusha Testimony
Ms. Kajimoto was exposed to the atomic bomb when she
was 14 years old. She expressed her conviction to communicate the realities of the atomic bombing to as many people
as possible, and stated that the total elimination of nuclear
weapons can definitely be accomplished with a collective
power of all who seek peace, bolstered by the spirit of thedeparted hibakusha.
I PRAY－Hiroshima’s children pray for peace
through dramaChildren of Hiroshima call for the importance of peace throughcreative drama－performing scenes of a peaceful, ordinary
morning of Hiroshima before the atomic bombing, Hiroshima
after the bombing, and the reconstruction of Hiroshima.

Former Under-Secretary-General Chowdhury’s Commemorative
LecturePanel Discussion
Secretary General Takashi Koizumi of Mayors for Peace(chairperson of this Foundation) served as a moderator,
and with the theme of “Localizing the Culture of Peacefor Greater Impact”, four Panelists―Former Under-Secretary-General of the UN Ambassador Chowdhury, President
Matsui and Vice President Tomihisa Taue (Mayor of Nagasaki)―held a discussion.
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PEACE CULTURE No.89

President Matsui shared his opinion that when people
demonstrate their ability to be compassionate to others—
people in both in-groups and outgroups— they could coexist peacefully and maintain good relationships.
Vice President Taue compared ways of thinking and rules
to computer operating systems, and peacebuilding by ourown to applications, and stated we must rewrite the old OS
to a new one to be compatible with new apps.
Former Under-Secretary-General Chowdhury mentioned
the importance of promoting gender equality at the UN
level, stressing that the UN must appoint a female Secretary-General.

Panel discussion

Session IV: The 10th Mayors for Peace Japanese
Member Cities Meeting
President Matsui chaired the Conference and Mayor Hideyasu Kiyomoto of Himeji, host city of the next Japanese
Member Cities Meeting gave the Opening Remark.
The Conference deliberated over agenda items suchas “Letter of Request to the Japanese Government
Calling for the Promotion of Actions to Abolish Nuclear Weapons” and adopted them as originally proposed.
Closing Ceremony
President Matsui read out the draft text of the Hiroshima
Appeal commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Establishment of Mayors for Peace that declares Mayors for
Peace will work even harder to promote the deep-rooted
culture of peace in civil society and appeals to the UN andall national governments to take six actions to reduce therisk of the use of nuclear weapons. The Conference deliberated over the Appeal and adopted it as originally proposed.
In his closing remarks, Vice President Taue mentionedthat the 11 th General Conference will be held in Nagasaki in 2025. He expressed his hopes for the Mayors for
Peace network to together make steady steps toward ourgoal of realizing a peaceful, nuclear-weapon-free world
while sharing the principle of the PX Vision, and to
make the next General Conference, in three years fromnow, a great opportunity to give good reports.

Session III
As the Remarks by guest, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Mr. Shunsuke Takei stated that the government will further deepen the collaboration with Mayors for
Peace to boost momentum for nuclear disarmament.
Then, Ms. Shiho Nabara, A-bomb Legacy Successor
served as the Moderator, three presentations themed of“The Role of Young People as Successors of the Will of the
Hibakusha” were given by Ms. Rico Suenaga of the Youth
Peace Volunteers, Ms. Suzuka Nakamura representing
KNOW NUKES TOKYO and Vice-Mayor Alexandre Varela of Evora, Portugal.
Adoption of the Hiroshima Appeal

The Hiroshima Appeal was sent to the UN Secretary-General and missions of national governments to the UN in early November 2022.
Please see the Mayors for Peace website for details.
(URL) https://www.mayorsforpeace.
org/en/news/2022/post-221102-2/(Mayors for Peace Administration Division)
Presentations on activities

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PEACE CULTURE No.89

L e t t er of Requ es t Calling f or t he
Promotion of Actions to Abolish Nuclear
Weapons and the Hiroshima Appeal
Submitted to the Japanese Government
On December 13, 2022, Hiroshima Mayor Matsui, President of Mayors for Peace, and Nagasaki Mayor Taue,
Vice President of Mayors for Peace, visited the Prime
Minister’s Office and presented a letter of request and theHiroshima Appeal to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. The
letter of request was adopted at the 10th Japanese Member
Cities Meeting of Mayors for Peace and the Hiroshima
Appeal was adopted at the 10th General Conference ofMayors for Peace, and called on the Japanese government
to promote efforts toward nuclear abolition.
In response, Prime Minister Kishida said, “The Treaty
on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) is an important treaty that serves as a towards achieving the goalof a nuclear-weapon-free world, and I believe the major
point is how to bring the nuclear weapon states closer tothis goal. We understand that many people are calling for
the Japanese government to participate as an observer in

Hiroshima-Nagasaki Atomic Bomband Peace Exhibition in Poland
out ―― In Gdansk where World War II broke out―

Since 1995, the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki havejointly held the “Hiroshima-Nagasaki Atomic Bomb andPeace Exhibition” overseas to convey the reality of theatomic bombings and to foster international public opinion
toward the abolition of nuclear weapons. The exhibition
was held for the first time in Poland in 2022.
The exhibition was held at the World War II Museum.
The museum opened in March 2017 in the city of Gdansk, known as the site of the outbreak of World War II.
The permanent exhibition consists of three blocks entitled“The Road to War”, “The Horrors of War”, and “The Long
Shadow of War”, which showcase Poland’s war experienceagainst a European and global backdrop.
This Exhibition was postponed approximately two months
from its original schedule to October 14, 2022, due to the
spread of the new coronavirus infection. At the opening
ceremony, the Director of the World War II Museum, Mr.
Grzegorz Berendt, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Akio Miyajima of the Embassy of Japan in Poland,and Mr. Takuo Takigawa, Director of the Hiroshima Peace
Memorial Museum, delivered opening remarks. Afterwards,
a video recording of a hibakusha Yoshiko Kajimoto, giving
her testimony with slides of maps and pictures, was shown.
Attendees listened to her testimony, some with tears in theireyes.

July 2023

the TPNW Conference of the Parties and to sign and ratify the TPNW. However, we would like to first build trustwith the United States as we consider how to address thisissue.”

From left, Hiroshima Mayor Matsui, Prime Minister Kishida,
Nagasaki Mayor Taue (Photo: Cabinet Public Affairs Office)(Mayors for Peace Administration Division)

The exhibits include an armband worn by a junior highschool student who was exposed to the atomic bombing
while working as a mobilized student, a replica of a lunch
box with its contents burned black, a paper crane folded byformer U.S. President Barack Obama, and 20 other actual
items, as well as 31 panels explaining the reality of thebombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Visitors to the exhibition commented that they were able
to truly feel the threat of nuclear weapons, and that it gavethem a chance to think about the issue as their own amid
concerns about the use of nuclear weapons by Russia.
Prior to the opening ceremony at the Gdansk WWII Museum, Director Takigawa attended the World BattlefieldMuseum Forum 2022, a gathering of museum professionals
from around the world, held at the museum from October
11 to 13. He made a presentation on the efforts of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum to pass on the A-bomb expe-

Exhibition venue

11July 2023

rience and the A-bomb and peace exhibitions. After the presentation, museum representatives from various countries
expressed their interest in holding an A-bomb and peace
exhibition.
Although this exhibition had to be held after a change inthe original schedule, visitors were able to deepen their understanding of the consequences of the use of nuclear weapons, in Poland which is a neighboring country of Ukraine
where fierce warfare continues. They also reaffirmed their
desire for the abolition of nuclear weapons and the preciousness of peace, through viewing A-bombed materials
and listening to the A-bomb experiences of the hibakusha.
(Peace Memorial Museum Outreach Division)

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able to learn in depth about the activities of the Secretariat
of Mayors for Peace,” and “After returning home, I hope towork more closely with the Secretariat to achieve our common goal of nuclear weapons abolition.”<Domestic member cities>
From February 1 to 3, the Mayors for Peace Secretariat
hosted 17 interns from member cities in Japan.

Mayors for Peace Internship

Mayors for Peace invites young officials and others frommember cities to Hiroshima for an internship program. The
purpose of this internship is to deepen understanding of theactivities of Mayors for Peace, to strengthen cooperation
with member cities, to deepen understanding of the reality of the atomic bombing, to share Hiroshima’s desire forpeace, and to promote activities to achieve lasting peace inthe world, in their own cities after the internship is over.
<Overseas member cities>
For two weeks this year, from January 11-25, we hosted
Mr. Richard Outram from Manchester, England, a Vice
President City and Leader City of Mayors for Peace.
Mr. Outram was engaged in administrative duties, suchas disseminating information via SNS and collecting signatures calling for all states to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons at the earliest date.
He deepened his understanding of the reality of the atomic bombing through a visit to Peace Memorial Museum and
Listening to testimonials of atomic bomb survivors. He also
visited the Hiroshima Municipal Funairi High School andpresented Manchester’s peace initiatives.
Mr. Outram commented, “Through this internship, I wasGroup work

The interns deepened their understanding of the reality of
the atomic bombing by visiting Peace Memorial Museum,
listening to testimonials of atomic bomb survivors, and participating in a Atomic Bomb Memoir Readings. In addition,group work was conducted to share the efforts and issues ofeach member city and to prepare draft plans for peace promotion projects.
Interns commented, “My awareness of peace has improved and my attitude toward it has changed,” and “It wasgood to learn not only about Hiroshima but also about theefforts of other municipalities.”
We will follow up with the participating cities to encouragethem to apply what they learned from this internship to peace
promotion projects in each member city, and we hope to further
strengthen cooperation among member cities to revitalize theactivities of Mayors for Peace.
(Mayors for Peace Administration Division)

Information
Our newsletters (Japanese and English
version) can be read on our website at:(URL) https://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.
jp/hpcf/english/paper/

HIROSHIMA PEACE CULTURE FOUNDATION

Keiko Ogura, an A-bomb survivor (left) and Mr. Outram (right)

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1-2 Nakajima-cho Naka-ku Hiroshima
730-0811 JAPAN
Phone 082-241-5246
Email p-soumu@pcf.city.hiroshima.jp
URL https://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/hpcf/