Vol.18 No.1 January 2016

From “Inhumanity” to Prohibition and Abolition of Nuclear Weapons
International Symposium “Seventy Years After Hiroshima and Nagasaki:
Nuclear Abolition and Passing on Atomic Survivorsʼ Accounts of Atrocities”
The Hiroshima Peace Institute (HPI) of Hiroshima City University,
the Hiroshima Peace Media Center of the Chugoku Shimbun, andthe Research Center for Nuclear Abolition (RECNA) of Nagasaki
University co-organized an international symposium entitled “Seventy
Years After Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Nuclear Abolition and Passingon Atomic Survivors’ Accounts of Atrocities” at the International
Conference Center Hiroshima on July 20, 2015. The event beganwith opening remarks by Yoshinori Okatani, the President of the
Chugoku Shimbun, and Nobuyuki Aoki, the President of Hiroshima
City University, followed by keynote speeches and reports in Session
I “Challenges of Nuclear Abolition After the 2015 NPT Review
Conference,” and Session II “The Inhumanity of Nuclear Weaponsand Atomic Bomb Survivors’ Accounts of the Atrocities,” and thendiscussion among the panelists. An audience of about 250 citizens
attended and listened to the speeches, reports and discussions.
The purpose of this event was to clarify the issues related to the
nuclear weapon and atomic bomb experience in the year that marks
the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing. Regarding the nuclear
weapon issues, the Review Conference of Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty (NPT) held in New York in April and May this year concluded
without adopting a final document and is regarded as a failure.
At the beginning of Session I, Mitsuru Kurosawa, professor
at Osaka Jogakuin University, gave a keynote speech entitled “The
Current State and Challenges of Nuclear Disarmament in Light ofthe 2015 NPT Review Conference.” In his speech, Kurosawa statedthat although the Conference failed to adopt a final document, thefinal draft of the document included three important points, i.e.
the humanitarian initiative, the nuclear weapon convention, andthe passing down of atomic bomb survivors’ experience, and heemphasized the importance of those three ideas.
Next, Michiko Tanaka, reporter of the Chugoku Shimbun,
gave a presentation entitled “The NPT Review Conference as
Seen by a Reporter and a Citizen.” In her report, she evaluated theactions of the “Humanitarian Group” including Austria and Mexico
since 2012 NPT Preparation Committee until 2015 NPT Review
Conference to pursue the legal prohibition of nuclear weapons
whereas she criticized Japan’s ambiguous position with regard to
the legal banning of nuclear weapons.
Then, Akira Kawasaki, executive committee member of thePeace Boat, gave a presentation entitled “From the Inhumanity of
Nuclear Weapons to a Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons” in which
he introduced the four options regarding the nuclear weapons
convention proposed by the six nations’ group “New Agenda
Coalitions” including New Zealand, and appealed that morediscussions are needed on this issue.
Session II consisted of two parts, and at the beginning ofPart I “States, Nuclear Weapons, and Atomic Bomb Survivors’
Accounts of the Atrocities,” Akiko Mikamo, the President of the

Kazumi Mizumoto

US-Japan Psychological Services, gave a keynote speech entitled“Psychological Trauma among Atomic Bomb Survivors: The
Lasting and Multigenerational Effects over the Past 70 Years.”
She pointed out that there is a scarcity of systematic and empiricalresearch in the fields of clinical psychology and psychiatryon psychological trauma among atomic bomb survivors, andemphasized the importance of comprehensive research on this issue.
Then, Kazumi Mizumoto of HPI gave a presentation entitled“The Dropping of the Atomic Bombs in the Context of theWar.” Mizumoto argued that Japan initiated the Pacific War forthe purpose of retaining its interests in China gained since the“Manchurian Incident,” and that the nature of war was inhuman not
only for the Asian people who were involved in the war but also
for the civilians and soldiers of Japan because they were forced todie meaninglessly by their own government. He stated that in orderto overcome the justification theory in the US regarding the drop of
atomic bombs in Japan, both the inhumanity of the war initiated by
Japan and the inhumanity of atomic bombing should be examined.
In Part II “Passing on the Atomic Bomb Survivors’ Accountsof the Atrocities,” high school and university students and young
researchers who are engaged in the task of conveying Atomic Bomb
Survivors’ experience gave presentations. First, four Junior Writers of
the Chugoku Shimbun, Arata Kohno, Maiko Hanaoka, Shiori Niitani,and Nozomi Mizoue, who are all high school students, expressed theirthoughts on peace in a presentation entitled “Middle School & HighSchool Students Writers Who Tell the Hiroshima Story,” detailingtheir experience of covering the NPT Review Conference in New
York City and attending a study tour on the holocaust in Poland.
Then, Keiko Nakamura, associate professor at RECNA, andSoichiro Hide, a student at Nagasaki University, who both attended
the NPT Review Conference gave a presentation entitled “Young
People of Nagasaki Active in Nuclear Abolition Diplomacy.” They
pointed out the importance for younger generations who haveno experience of atomic bombing to tackle the nuclear issues bycultivating their awareness on international problems.
Finally, Taeko Kiriya, assistant professor at HPI, who isconducting research on the history of the reconstruction of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki from the viewpoint of atomic bomb survivors, gave apresentation entitled “Passing on Atomic Bomb Survivors’ Accountsof the Atrocities as Seen from the Perspective of a Researcher.”
Kiriya mentioned that “to record” and “to acknowledge the issue
by your own eyes” are the most important, and described her own
experiences hearing testimony from atomic bomb survivors.
After the two Sessions, Kurosawa, Kawasaki, Mikamo,
Nakamura, and Kiriya joined the Panel Discussion “Abolitionof Nuclear Weapons and Passing on Atomic Bomb Survivors’
Accounts of Atrocities” chaired by Mizumoto, exchanged theirviews, and answered questions from the floor.

Contents

From “Inhumanity” to Prohibition and Abolition of
Nuclear Weapons
International Symposium “Seventy Years After
Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Nuclear Abolition
and Passing on Atomic Survivors’ Accounts ofAtrocities”… ……………………………………… 1
International Symposium Session Ⅰ & Ⅱ……………… 2-4
PSAJ Spring Conference 2015… ……………………… 4
Public Lecture Series(Second Semester in 2014 and First Semester in 2015)
Two World Wars… ………………………………… 5
HPI Research Forum …………………………………… 6
Introduction to Our New Researchers…………………… 7
Diary… ……………………………………………… 7-8

Visit HPI’s website at http://www.hiroshima-cu.ac.jp/modules/peace_e/index.php

1International Symposium

Seventy Years After Hiroshima and Nagasaki:
Nuclear Abolition and Passing on Atomic Survivors’ Accounts of Atrocities

Session Ⅰ Challenges of Nuclear Abolition After the 2015 NPT Review Conference
Keynote Speech: The Current State and Challengesof Nuclear Disarmament in Light of the 2015 NPT
Review Conference

Mitsuru Kurosawa（Professor
at Osaka Jogakuin University）
This year’s NPT Review Conference
is regarded as failure due to theunsuccessful adoption of final
document. However, there was nocountry that clearly objected to thesection of final draft of the final
document that was related to nuclear
disarmament, and therefore the section
was virtually approved by the parties. There were three important
subjects contained in the section; they are (1) humanitarian
initiative, (2) nuclear weapon convention, and (3) the idea of
passing on atomic bomb experience.
Regarding (1), the initiative spread as the joint statement on
inhumanity of nuclear weapons, and the number of supporting
nations increased from 16 in 2012 to 159 at present. As for thistrend, there are three different positions: ①nuclear weapons should
not be used and should be abolished under any circumstances(159 nations), ②nuclear weapons are inhuman, but their security
function should also be considered (Japan, Australia, and others),
and ③nuclear disarmament can become possible only if there is agood security environment.
As for (2), the New Agenda Coalitions proposed specificideas. One idea is a “comprehensive nuclear weapon convention”
which is to prohibit all activities related to nuclear weapons
and to abolish them step-by-step. Another idea is to achieve asimpler version of a “treaty banning use and possession of nuclear
weapons” which aims to conclude a treaty to prohibit them to nonnuclear weapon states. The third idea is a “framework agreement,”
which is to conclude a broad agreement including some basic items
such as the elimination of nuclear weapons and later add details via
protocols. The Japanese government is expected to assess its own
attitude regarding these ideas.
With regard to (3), representing 76 nations, Japan presented
a joint statement emphasizing the importance of disarmamentand non-proliferation education. Japan also insisted on includingin the draft of final document a request for world leaders to visit
Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Due to strong objection by China, theword Hiroshima and Nagasaki were erased from the draft, but
the essence of the idea was retained in the text. To understand theimportance of nuclear abolition in our hearts, in my view, a visit toHiroshima and Nagasaki is indispensable.

Report: The NPT Review Conference as Seen by aReporter and a Citizen
Michiko Tanaka（Reporter, Chugoku Shimbun）
I will report what I have seen and felt while I was covering the
NPT Review Conference. When I covered the first preparatory
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HIROSHIMA RESEARCH NEWS Vol.18 No.1, January 2016

committee of NPT Review Conferencein 2012 in Geneva, I was excited
to see the announcement by the 16“humanitarian group” nations of a
joint statement on the inhumanity of
nuclear weapons because the statement
was similar to the appeal by the cities
attacked by the atomic bombs. The
number of nations that support thestatement later increased to 159. But
at the Review Conference this year,
I felt something different. Nuclear weapon states controlled thehumanitarian group whose demands for the banning of nuclear
weapons and inclusion of expressions such as the “inhumanityof nuclear weapons” were erased from the final draft behind thescenes.
The final document was not adopted, not because of thedisagreement on the issue of nuclear disarmament, but that of
the Middle East; however, the proposals on the legal banning of
nuclear weapons were almost agreed upon, and the discussions
could be continued in the United Nations. Japan, which is still
under the nuclear umbrella in spite of its atomic bomb experience,
would be put under pressure to support the movement for banning
nuclear weapons.
It was impressive that the humanitarian group nations were
working together with anti-nuclear NGO members. It might benecessary in the future for the atomic-bombed cities to cooperatewith NGOs.
At the Review Conference, I have rarely seen journalists fromcountries other than Japan. In those countries the Conference is
not paid sufficient attention. A female who is a second generation
Hibakusha said that she felt a big gap between the atmosphere in
Hiroshima and the US. The voice of Hiroshima should be patiently
expressed in the US in the future.

Report: From the Inhumanity of Nuclear Weapons
to a Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons

Akira Kawasaki（Executive Committee Member,
Peace Boat）
International conferences on thehumanitarian impact of nuclear
w e a p o n s w e r e h e l d i n N o r w a y,
Mexico, and Austria from 2013 to2014. The Chair’s Summary of theVienna Conference held in Austria
endorsed the necessity of abolition andcomprehensive legal control of nuclear
weapons, and Austria sent all themember states of the United Nations a
document entitled “Austrian Pledge,”
which demands the legal banning of nuclear weapons and asked
for their support. The number of nations that support the Austrian
Pledge reached 113 during the NPT Review Conference, and it wasrenamed the “Humanitarian Pledge.” The International Campaign
to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) supports the movement.
At the Review Conference, the New Agenda Coalition,
composed of six countries including New Zealand, proposed four
options regarding the legal banning of nuclear weapons. They
defined a nuclear weapon convention as the “effective measures”
relating to nuclear disarmament, which is written in Article IV of
NPT. The option includes a comprehensive treaty with detailed
rules such as abolition and verification of nuclear weapons, a simple
treaty banning nuclear weapons, and a framework agreement thatcombines several treaties to control nuclear weapons.
Considering all these options, ICAN has proposed a treaty
banning nuclear weapons that contains clauses such as the banningof development, production, experiment and use of nuclear
weapons, a timeframe for the complete elimination of nuclear
weapons, and upholding the rights of people who are victimized
by nuclear weapons. In the proposal, nuclear weapon states are
not necessarily required to join from the beginning; it is expectedthat non-nuclear weapon states would first form a loose treaty
by themselves. The closing of the NPT Conference without any
achievement may well lead to weakening of the NPT regime, andso we need to establish a worldwide norm that nuclear weapons
should not be tolerated. The Japanese government’s position of
not actively supporting the banning of nuclear weapons should nolonger be accepted. We should remember that actions taken by anatomic bombed country have the power to influence the world.

Session Ⅱ The Inhumanity of Nuclear Weapons and Atomic Bomb Survivors’ Accounts of the Atrocities

Part 1: States, Nuclear Weapons, and Atomic Bomb Survivors’ Accounts of the Atrocities
Keynote Speech:“Psychological Trauma among
Atomic Bomb Survivors: The Lasting andMultigenerational Effects over the Past 70 Years”

Akiko Mikamo（Psy.D., President/Medical Psychologist,
US-Japan Psychological Services）
Psychological trauma refers to mental“wounds” when one has been directly
or indirectly exposed to devastatingstress such as death, near-death, thehorror of it, severe injuries, and soon. There is a scarcity of systematicand empirical research in the fields ofclinical psychology and psychiatry on
psychological trauma among atomic
bomb survivors. Only a few studies
relying on the questionnaires andsociological approaches have been found within and outside of Japan.
The psychological traumatic reactions to stress may include
the following: flashbacks, nightmares, dissociative experiences(one feels he/she is outside of his/her body), emotional numbness,
avoidance of the stimuli that remind them of the traumatic
experience, loss of interests or apathy, and persistent blamingof self or others. Depression, anxiety, and substance abuse arequite common. Also, not a few survivors suffer from “Survivors’
Guilt,” in which they cannot forgive themselves because they feel
somebody else died taking their place, or they were the only ones
that survived among the loved ones. People with these conditions
may become very anxious or emotional, and they may feel tense
for more than one month, become irritable or self-destructive, feelparanoid, react excessively to a relatively minor stimulus, havedifficulties concentrating, and/or suffer from insomnia.
One of the reasons why there has been very little clinicalresearch on psychological trauma among atomic bomb survivors
may be based on the fact that the exposure to the atomic bombing
is very unique among various traumatic situations, even comparedto other genocides. The atomic bomb explosions killed tens of
thousands of people instantaneously, nobody knew what it was andwhat to expect afterwards, and the radiation diseases took lives
away for decades to come. In addition, the intervention priorities
were on physical recoveries and rebuilding of the devastated cities,
rather than psychological aspects of the survivors’ experiences.
The keys to psychological recovery among atomic bomb
survivors are hypothesized to lie in the cognitive, emotional, andbehavioral re-processing of the traumatic experiences. When thepast memory is buried with painful emotions and physiologicalreactions, the mere denial or minimization of the pain does notcreate lasting effects in the recovery. For example, exposure
therapy is proven to be effective in the treatment of psychologicaltrauma if it is done in the carefully managed therapeutic

environment. It is considered imperative for patients to takeresponsibilities for their own recovery, health, and happiness,
instead of focusing and dwelling on the blames and ruminating on
the past tragedies. Letting go of hatred or grudges, and learning
to forgive self and others may be the key ingredient in the truerecovery from psychological trauma.

Report: The Dropping of the Atomic Bombs in theContext of the War
Kazumi Mizumoto（Vice President/Professor at HPI）
Whenever the people of Hiroshima
appeal about the inhumanity of
nuclear weapons to the world, thatvoice is sometimes offset by theargument that the drop of the atomic
bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki
was indispensable for ending thewar, the military invasion, and thecolonization initiated by Japan. The
inhumanity of nuclear weapons
and the responsibility of the war inwhich the nuclear weapons were later used should not be discussed
as issues on the same level. However, it is important to understandthe context of the war that lead to the use of the atomic bombs.
Why did Japan initiate the Pacific War? After acquiring
Taiwan during the Sino-Japanese War, the South Manchurian
Railway and Southern Sakhaline in the Russo-Japanese War,and the Korean Peninsula by colonization, Japan intended togain interests in mainland China. While agreeing to provisions
including the respect of sovereignty, protection of territory, andequal opportunity in China at the Washington Conference in 1921,
the Japanese military plotted the Manchurian Incident in 1931
and established a “Manchurian Empire.” After confronting harsh
criticism in Europe and America, Japan withdrew from the Leagueof Nations, and the US and European nations imposed strict
economic sanctions on Japan.
When the US thrust upon Japan the “Hull Note,” a final noteissued by the Secretary of State Cordell Hull, Japan interpreted that
the Note demanded that it renounce all the interests gained after the
Manchurian Incident and that it was impossible to accept. This was
the reason it was decided to attack Pearl Harbor, which lead Japan
into an unwinnable war. And a total of 3.1 million Japanese people
including those in uniform and civilians were dead because of theJapanese government’s decision to prolong the war even after thesevere air raids and the battle in Okinawa. The nature of the war
initiated by Japan was inhuman even to the people of Japan. In orderto overcome the justification theory of atomic bombing in Hiroshima
and Nagasaki, which exists in the US and Asia, we have to examine
the inhumanity of the war as well as that of nuclear weapons.
Visit HPI’s website at http://www.hiroshima-cu.ac.jp/modules/peace_e/index.php

3Session Ⅱ The Inhumanity of Nuclear Weapons and Atomic Bomb Survivors’ Accounts of the Atrocities

Part 2: Passing on Atomic Bomb Survivors’ Accounts of the Atrocities
Report: Middle School & High School Student
Writers Who Tell the Hiroshima Story

Arata Kohno, Maiko Hanaoka, Shiori Niitani, and Nozomi
Mizoue（Junior Writers of the Chugoku Shimbun）
A total of 49 students from the sixth grade at elementary school to
the third grade at high school, selected by an open recruitment, are
now wring articles on peace for the page entitled “the Peace Seeds”
in the Chugoku Shimbun every second and fourth Thursday of themonth. This year, for the first time, some writers including ourselves
were sent abroad. At the NPT Review Conference we interviewed
staff of the UN and some US citizens, and reached the conclusionthat the abolition of nuclear weapons is attainable. We also attended
a study tour in Europe to study the systematic mass killing of theJewish people and felt very differently than we usually do at thePeace Memorial Park in Hiroshima. The major reason why nuclear
weapons and wars still exist today is the indifference of the people.
As before, we will write stories on atomic bomb survivors.

Report: Young People of Nagasaki Active in
Nuclear Abolition Diplomacy

Keiko Nakamura（Associate Professor at RECNA,
Nagasaki University）
The approach to nuclear abolition of young people who haveno atomic bomb experience is different from that of Hibakusha,
and therefore people of younger generation need the capability
to recognize the atrocities as their own and the logical ability tochallenge international politics. The Nagasaki Youth Delegation isa program to train youth in those two aspects and dispatched young
students to the conference and meeting of the NPT three times in thepast. This year, a group of 12 students were recruited and sent to the
NPT Review Conference. They had a program of preparation studies
for six months before the Conference. They had meetings in New
York for the exchange of views with people from the UN and NGOs,
and there expressed their own opinion. After returning to Japan, theytalked about the world situation related to nuclear weapons at local
middle schools. The Nagasaki Youth Delegation aims to show a newprogram of peace education for the young generation.
Soichiro Hide（Student at Nagasaki University/aMember of Nagasaki Youth Delegation）
In a survey of peace education for the students of Nagasaki

University, 75% of the respondents answered that nuclear weapons
cannot be eliminated. Most of the respondents also answered thatthey were given peace education in the past and are satisfied with
it. This fact shows that even though they have some knowledge ofthe atomic bomb, they do not have real knowledge of the world
situation regarding nuclear weapons. In order to change the attitudeof young people, the following four elements should be included inpeace education; education about atomic bombs, issues related tonuclear weapons, international problems in general, and initiatives
for a world without nuclear weapons.

Report: Passing on Atomic Bomb Survivors’
Accounts of the Atrocities as Seen from the
Perspective of a Researcher

Taeko Kiriya（Assistant Professor at HPI）
I would like to emphasize two points. The first point is to createa record of the Hibakusha, and that is one of the most urgent task
we should do while the Hibakusha are still alive. I myself am
archiving the records of their testimony. While taking a testimony,a Hibakusha repeatedly talked about catching eel before theatomic bombing, and I did not understand his intention. Later I
recognized that his story of eel catching was linked to an important
memory of his mother who was killed by the atomic bombing.
The communication of the teller and the listener is important inrecording testimony.
The second point is to acknowledge the issue with your own
eyes. Hibakusha expect the listeners of their testimony to be activein peace activities. But how can it be possible? Sakae Ito, a former
representative committee member of the Japan Confederation of
A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations once pointed out theimportance of sharing the atomic bomb experience universally withall people. The universalization of the atomic bombing experienceis made possible if the atrocity of the atomic bombing is conveyed
not through mathematical figures but through human stories. As
Toshihiro Kanai, a former Chugoku Shimbun reporter once said,
it should be conveyed as “atrocities of humanities.” The task ofpassing down the atomic bomb experience should not be imposedon Hibakusha. Instead, we as listeners should acknowledge thetestimony with your own eyes and keep passing them down to thenext generation.
Summarized by Kazumi Mizumoto, Professor at HPIPSAJ Spring Conference 2015
The Peace Studies Association of Japan (PSAJ) Spring
Conference 2015 was held at the JMS Aster Plaza in Naka Wardin Hiroshima City on the 18th and 19th of July. More than 200
people including researchers and citizens attended. This event
was organized by Hiroshima City University. The main themeof the conference was “Reconsidering Peace 70 Years after
Losing the Second World War: The Road to Peace in the Asia
Pacific Region from Hiroshima.”
On day one, researchers reported on the current situation
regarding nuclear weapons and had a discussion titled“Considering Anti-Nuclear Activities from the Point of View
of Victims.” This discussion was based on the claim by the
Republic of Marshall Islands that sued the nine nuclear-armed
nations for failing to comply with their obligations underinternational law to pursue negotiations for the worldwide
elimination of nuclear weapons. The discussion concluded that
4

HIROSHIMA RESEARCH NEWS Vol.18 No.1, January 2016

we should achieve nuclear abolition not based on theories by
the nuclear powers but from the victims’ point of view.
On day two, Dr. Sun Ge from the Chinese Academy ofSocial Sciences gave a talk titled “Can People in East Asia
Unite? A Question 70 years after the Second World War.”In the session titled “How Do We Pass on Memories
from the Second World War?” panellists including Dr. Tetsuya
Takahashi from the University of Tokyo discussed how weshould inherit war memories. They concluded that we shouldpass on the memories of those who survived the war andwitnessed the violence with the pain they felt.
We discussed the road to the abolition of nuclear
weapons and nuclear power plants, passing on memories of
the war, reconstruction in the post-war era, and problems withcooperation in East Asia over the two day conference.
Taeko Kiriya (Assistant Professor at HPI)

Public Lecture Series (Second Semester in 2014 and First Semester in 2015)

Two World Wars
The Hiroshima Peace Institute (HPI) held the Public Lecture Series in the second semester in 2014 and the first semester
in 2015 at the Hiroshima City Plaza for Town Development through Citizen Exchange, which is referred to as “GOJINSHA
Wendy Hito-Machi Plaza” since June 1, 2015. The subjects of these lecture series were WWI and WWII, because 2014
was the centenary of the outbreak of WWI and 2015 was the 70th anniversary of the end of hostilities in WWII. Since thenumber of applicants for the lectures in 2015 exceeded the capacity of the lecture room, we unfortunately had to determine
who could attend by lots – something which we have never had to do in the history of our public lectures. We would like toexpress our gratitude to everyone for their interest in our lectures. The HPI booklet vol. 2 titled “Two World Wars” publishedin December 2015 carries the papers of the lectures.

Second Semester in 2014 The Centenary of the First World War: It’s Legacy for Peace
1 lecturest

2 lecturend

3 lecturerd

4 lectureth

5 lectureth

Gen Kikkawa (President and Professor at HPI) “The First World War as the Origin ofContemporary History”
Akihiro Kawakami (Associate Professor at HPI) “The Treaty for the Renunciation of
Nov. 28
War and the Constitution of Japan, Article 9”
Hatsue Shinohara (Professor, Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, Waseda
Dec. 5th
University) “The League of Nations and Peace in the 20 Century”
Makiko Takemoto (Assistant Professor at HPI) “German Peace Movement after theDec. 9First World War”
Hisaki Kenmochi (Professor, Department of International Relations, University ofDec. 19 Shizuoka) “Representation of the First World War: The Case of French-German
Studies, Museums and Schoolbooks”
Nov. 21

The First World War, which ended up lasting four years, is often called the starting point of themodern age. It also marked the beginning of a period of mass killings. After the war, the modern
international political order was established, such as the independence of small Eastern European
countries and the building of the collective security system. These were influential on world politics
until the end of the Cold War. As a member of the allied forces, Japan participated in the war, butpeople are not interested in this today. On the centenary to mark the beginning of the war, thisHPI Booklet Vol.2
lecture series took this topic as its theme and tried to analyze how influential the discussion on war
and peace are on our world today.
In the first lecture, Gen Kikkawa gave a perspective on the character of WWI and explained how the war contributed toestablishing international society in the 20th century. He then also examined the struggle for peace after the war and the problems
which remained unsolved and had an influence on the causes of WWII. Akihiro Kawakami explained the movement to ban war
in the 1920s and its significance and influence on the General Treaty for Renunciation of War as an Instrument of National Policy(Kellogg-Briand Pact) and on Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution. In the third lecture, Hatsue Shinohara’s theme was on the
League of Nations, which was established after WWI. She examined the international drive for peace, the historical meaning of the
League of Nations and the problems which it confronted. The fourth lecture focused on the historical development of the German
peace movement and the influence of WWI on it. In the last lecture, Hisaki Kenmochi highlighted the discussion and evaluationof WWI in France and Germany until the present day and then examined the efforts for reconciliation through common historicalschoolbooks and the representation of museums of both countries.

First Semester in 2015 The Second World War: Analyses Focusing on Japan
1 lecture June 12 Gen Kikkawa (President and Professor at HPI) “What was World War II ?”nd
2 lecture June 19 Ken Ishida (Professor at Chiba University) “The Axis towards Defeat and the New Constitutions”rd
3 lecture June 26 Hitoshi Nagai (Associate Professor at HPI) “Interpreting the Philippines War Crimes Trials: Local Perspectives/Narratives”
Aiko Utsumi (Professor, Centre for Asia Pacific Partnership, Osaka University of Economics and Law) “The Santh
4 lecture
July 3
Francisco Peace Treaty: Process of Pacification and Compensation in the Midst of the Cold War”
Masakatsu Yamazaki (Professor Emeritus, Tokyo Institute of Technology) “Nuclear Weapons Development Programs inth
5 lecture July 10
Japan during WWII and the Impact of the A-Bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki on the Scientists Involved in the Programs”
st

In the lecture series for the first semester of 2015, the Second World War was analyzed from many aspects focused mainly on the case ofJapan. The lectures looked at the following subjects: the structure of international politics which led to WWII, the political system before
and after the war, democracy, constitution, war criminals, reparations and compensation, and the development of the atomic bombs.
Even though there was a lot of international effort to prevent another war after WWI, why did WWII break out? The firstlecture examined this question. Gen Kikkawa discussed the problems of irredentism, the menace of ideological opposition and thereconstruction of international order. In the following lecture the case of Italy was used, which is rarely compared with those ofGermany and Japan. Ken Ishida showed the differences in the political systems of these three countries during the war and theircollapse, the political shift to the postwar period and also the differences in the constitutions of these countries. In the third lecture,through the analysis of the Japanese war crime trials in the Philippines, Hitoshi Nagai gave an overview of the war experiences of theFilipinos and examined how the Philippine government had tried to deal with the “scars of the war.” The theme of the fourth lecture
was on the Treaty of Peace with Japan (Treaty of San Francisco). Aiko Utsumi explained the character and political background of
this treaty and the remaining problems for Japan, such as the question of war responsibility, compensation and responsibility for thecolonial policies. She presented the work of reconciliation by a Japanese company and individuals among the war victims. In thelast lecture, Masakatsu Yamazaki discussed the history of the development of the Japanese atomic bombs during the war with new
historical material that was found and analyzed recently. His lecture raised the question of collaboration and the reluctant acceptanceof some scientists to the war. He also showed the example of the effort for peace and nuclear abolition by those scientists who wereshocked at the aftermath of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Makiko Takemoto (Assistant Professor at HPI)

Visit HPI’s website at http://www.hiroshima-cu.ac.jp/modules/peace_e/index.php

5

HPI

Research Forum
April 7,2015

The Uranium Highway from Great Bear Lake, Canada to Hiroshima
Peter C. van Wyck (Professor, Concordia University),
Julie Salverson (Associate Professor, Queen’s University)

An HPI Research Forum was held on April 7, 2015 at the HCU
Satellite Campus where members of the Hiroshima community
heard from Canadian dramatist Julie Salverson and Canadianscholar Peter van Wyck.
Salverson and van Wyck presented their research in a dynamic
and artistic event that included photography, poetry, personalreflection and historical research focused around the nuclear fuelcycle in Canada. Beginning with the history of uranium mining
in northwestern Canada that was used in the nuclear weapons
used in the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They exploredthe devastating impact of this uranium mining on the Dene
community situated on Great Bear Lake, where both have done
extensive fieldwork. They explored the history of deceit, of diseaseand contamination that scarred both families and the entire Dene
community.
The two then traced the journey of the mined uranium tofacilities in southern Canada where it is milled and refined foruse in nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons; a process thatcreated additional sickness and contamination.
Revealing a little known and amazing piece of history,
they showed film clips from a documentary film that followed
elders of the Dene community on a visit to Hiroshima for the 53rd

June 1,
2015

commemoration of
the bombing in 1998.
In the 1940s whenmembers of the Dene
community weremining uranium they
were not informed
about the nature of the material they were handling, only learning
decades later, that it was uranium and it was used in the nuclear
attack on Hiroshima. Their relationship to their own land madethem feel responsibility to the people who were killed andinjured by the use of the uranium. A delegation of Dene elders
came to Hiroshima to apologize to the people of Hiroshima, andspecifically to the hibakusha, because of the damage they sufferedfrom the uranium taken from Dene traditional land.
While the research forum focused on the nuclear fuel cycle,
what van Wyck has called the Highway of the Atom, Salverson andvan Wyck showed that the human side of this highway involved
a personal journey of apology, forgiveness and transculturalcommunity—a journey that politicians have still been unable totake.
Robert Jacobs (Associate Professor at HPI)A Focus of Austria’s Peace Policy: Disarmament-From the Vienna
Conference and Beyond the NPT Review Conference
Bernhard Zimburg (Austrian Ambassador to Japan)

The HPI organized on June 1, 2015 a Research Forum on the“Focus on Austria’s Peace Policy: Disarmament-From the Vienna
Conference and Beyond the NPT Review Conference” by H.E.
Dr. Bernhard Zimburg, Austrian Ambassador to Japan. The
reconstruction of Austria from a country devastated by WorldWar II to a peaceful nation was not easy. However, after tenacious
negotiations with the allies, Austria became the independent
country it is today. He explained this historical background tounderstand Austria today which has become a peace-loving nation.
His lecture was thus useful to understand the background to why
Austria pursued the “humanitarian pledge” through the Vienna
Conference and to think about the future of nuclear disarmament.
According to his lecture, given the growing concerns and lackof progress in disarmament, Austria decided to take an active lead

6

HIROSHIMA RESEARCH NEWS Vol.18 No.1, January 2016

in the context of the humanitarian initiative of nuclear disarmament
and to host the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impactof Nuclear Weapons in December 2014. The Vienna Conference
consolidated the substantive discussions that had taken place inthe three Conferences on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear
Weapons into a set of substantive and strong conclusions withrespect to the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons, therisks associated with the existence of these weapons, as well as thelegal and moral dimensions of this weapony. This was intended
to provide key input for future work on nuclear disarmament,
including at the 2015 Review Conference of NPT. Moreover,the Vienna Conference presented – through the line of argument
contained in the “Austrian Pledge” – a set of conclusions that states
could draw as a result of the humanitarian initiative and the new
evidence that has emerged in this context.
The Austrian pledge highlights the conclusions that we thinkneed to be drawn from this new evidence, inter alia that (…) all
States Parties to the NPT to (should) identify and pursue effective
measures to fill the legal gap for the prohibition and elimination of
nuclear weapons (…), and the wish to cooperate with all relevant
stakeholders (…) in efforts to stigmatize, prohibit and eliminate
nuclear weapons in light of their unacceptable humanitarianconsequences and associated risks according to his explanation.
Yasuhito Fukui (Associate Professor at HPI)

Introduction to Our New Researchers
Yasuhito Fukui

Takeshi Yuasa

Dr. Yasuhito Fukui was born in1964 in Hyogo Prefecture. He
received the academic title LL.D.
(Docteur en droit) from Université
Paris 1 (Panthéon-Sorbonne). His
specialization is in international
disarmament law and areas
related to this. He joined the
M i ni s tr y of F oreign Affairs ofJapan in 1988. After 28 years of diplomatic service, he left
the Ministry in March 2015, and assumed his current postat the Hiroshima Peace Institute, Hiroshima City University.
His major publication is, inter alia , Gunshuku Kokusaiho no
Kyoka (Strengthening the International Disarmament Law)published by Shinzansha Publisher Co., Ltd. in February 2015.

Takeshi Yuasa was born in
Saitama Prefecture. A graduate
from BA in Russian language
and Russian studies (1992) andMA course on International
Relations (1996) in Sophia
University, he worked as a
researcher at the Embassy ofJapan to Denmark (1996-97).
While working as a fellow at the National Institute for
Defense Studies (NIDS) since 2000, he served as a staffof the Defense Policy Division of the Japan Defense
Agency, the predecessor of the Ministry of Defense ofJapan (2004-6). He joined the Hiroshima Peace Institute(HPI) in April 2015. His work in recent years has been
devoted to politics and security issues in Russia andEurasia. Especially, he is focusing on Russian-led regionalo r g a ni z a ti o ns s uc h a s the S ha ng ha i Co o p e r a t i o n
Organization, the Eurasian Economic Union and theCollective Security Treaty Organization.

(Associate Professor)

Dr. Yasuhito Fukui states: “My first encounter withdisarmament was at the time of the last nuclear test
conducted by China 20 years ago. Back then, I was working
in the press service and assisting TV crews who had cometo the Foreign Minister’s office in order to cover the scene
when the Minister made an official protest to the Chinese
Ambassador that China should not conduct any more nuclear
tests. A month later, I began to work in the disarmament field.
I worked in various fields of the United Nations’ multilateraldiplomacy, including arms control and disarmament. As I
assumed my current post in the year of the 70th anniversaryof the Atomic bombing of Hiroshima and the end of WorldWar II, I sensed a strong desire among citizens in Hiroshima
to search for peace through disarmament. I would like tocontinue my research on international disarmament law
and other areas related to this, such as international humanrights law and humanitarian law, so that I can respond to the
expectations of the readers of this newsletter.”

DIARY◆Apr. 2–3 Kazumi Mizumoto and Robert Jacobs attend as
judge the Critical Issues Forum, an international education
program on disarmament and non-proliferation for high school
students, co-organized by Middlebury Institute of International
Studies at Monterey and Hiroshima Jogakuin Junior and SeniorHigh School, held at the High School.
◆Apr. 3 Mizumoto attends the first meeting of executive
committee of International Youth Conference for Peace in
the Future (IYCPR), Hiroshima 2015, held at International
Conference Center Hiroshima.
◆Apr. 11 Jacobs presents a lecture as an invited speaker on the
topic of, “Pretending Fukushima is New: How Studying Sites
of Radiological Contamination Around the World Can Help
Us to Understand the Present and Future in Fukushima,” at the“4.11 International Symposium: From Hiroshima and Bikini toFukushima and the World”, Fukushima City.
◆Apr. 27–May 2 Narayanan Ganesan trains the Myanmar civil
service in Taunggyi in the Shan states.
◆Apr. 27 Jacobs presents lecture as an invited speaker on the
topic of, “Ways of Seeing Hiroshima, and Ways of Seeing from
Hiroshima,” at the “70th Anniversary Atomic Bomb Symposium,”at the University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA.

(Professor)

Message from Prof. Yuasa: “It is a great honor to join
HPI and to become a citizen of Hiroshima. I studied in
Volgograd, which is Hiroshima’s sister city in Russia, rightafter the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Since then,I have had a personal interest in Hiroshima. Looking
at the conflicts around nuclear powers such as Russia
and learning the history of Semipalatinsk, a former testsite in Kazakhstan, I cannot help thinking that nuclear
security is a central and critical matter when consideringinternational relations in Eurasia. I will bear in mind thatmy mission in HPI is to set up Eurasian studies originatingfrom Hiroshima. It would be very helpful if I could haveyour support and cooperation. Thank you!”

Apr. 1– Sep. 30, 2015

◆May 8 Mizumoto attends the first plenary meeting of Support
Project for Cambodia Reconstruction, organized by and held at
Hiroshima Prefecture.
◆May 17–23 Yasuhito Fukui participates in the NPT Review
Conference held in New York.
◆May 18 Gen Kikkawa makes a report on the “Crisis in the
Security Environment in East Asia” at the University of Vienna
Peace Research Symposium, held in Vienna, Republic of Austria.
◆May 22 Kikkawa gives a speech on “Modernization andPacifism in Japan” at the University of Warsaw, held in Warsaw,
Republic of Poland. ▽Mizumoto gives lecture “The View Pointof Politics and International Relations in Southeast Asia” at theTraining Program for Global Human Resources from the View
Point of International Cooperation and Contribution organizedby the Hiroshima University of Economics, held at Satellite
Campus Hiroshima.
◆May 23 Mizumoto gives lecture “The Meaning of Studying theHiroshima Experience” at the Hiroshima Peace Forum organizedby the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation, held at the Hiroshima
City Plaza for Town Development through Citizen Exchange.
◆Jun. 4 Mizumoto serves as the Vice-Chair at the 18th meetingof the Exhibition Review Committee of the Hiroshima Peace
Visit HPI’s website at http://www.hiroshima-cu.ac.jp/modules/peace_e/index.php

7Memorial Museum, held at International Conference Center
Hiroshima. ▽Mizumoto gives lecture “Hiroshima and Peace:
Atomic Bomb Experience and Contribution to Peace Building”
at the Joint Peace Seminar hosted by and held at Hiroshima
Jogakuin University.
◆Jun. 5 Jacobs presents a lecture on the topic of, “Half Lives
and Nuclear Inheritance: Legacies of Trauma at Nuclear Test
Site Locations,” to the Soul Wounds: Trauma and Healing AcrossGenerations Conference at Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
◆Jun. 6 Taeko Kiriya presents a paper titled “The ‘Reconstruction’of Hiroshima and Nagasaki under the Occupation, andHibakusha,” at the 2015 2 nd study group of the Society ofOccupation and Post-War History Studies held at Kudan Campus
in Nishogakusha University in Tokyo.
◆Jun. 7 Akihiro Kawakami attends as chairperson, a sectional
meeting (social science) at the Japan Association of Synthetic
Anthropology, held in Tokyo.
◆Jun. 8 Mizumoto gives lecture “Hiroshima and Disarmament:
The Experience of Atomic Bombing and the Danger of Nuclear
Weapon” at the Training Programme on Nuclear Disarmament
for South East Asia, organized by the UNITAR Hiroshima
Office, held at International Conference Center Hiroshima.
◆Jun. 8–9
Mikyoung Kim presents a paper “Betwixt the
Subtle and the Obvious: North Korean Human Rights Discourse
in Postwar Japan” at the publication workshop held at Alfred
Deakin Research Institute for Citizenship and Globalization of
Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia.
◆Jun. 17 Mizumoto gives lecture “Nuclear Abolition and World
Peace” at the “Kotobuki Lecture Series” organized by and heldat Hiroshima Central Community Center.
◆Jun. 18 to 20 Kikkawa takes part in the CSCE 70 Anniversary
Symposium and served as the Chairman of the “Perspectivefrom Asia Subcommittee”, held in Krakow, Poland.
◆Jun. 30 Kikkawa gives keynote speech, Mizumoto gives lecture“Hiroshima and Peace: the Experience of Atomic Bombing
and the Danger of Nuclear Weapon,” and Jacobs gives lecture“Radiation, Families and Communities: Fukushima and the
Significance of the March 2011 Disasters” at Japan Studies
Association Workshop “Remembering Hiroshima-Nagasaki 19452015” held at International Conference Center Hiroshima.
◆Jul. 2 Mizumoto gives lecture “Current World Situation of
Nuclear Weapons” at the training course for recounters of atomic
bomb experiences, organized by Hiroshima City, held at JMS
Aster Plaza.
◆Jul. 5 Kiriya reads a paper titled “Nuclear Power andCulture: The Case of the Reconstruction of Hiroshima andNagasaki under the occupation” at the 2015 national conventionof Japan Culture Society held at Tama University in Tokyo.
◆Jul. 7 Kim presents paper “Gender Politics: Unexpected
Turn of the Sewol Ferry Tragedy and Korea-Japan Relations”
at the Korean Internal Politics panel at the biannual conventionof International Convention of Asia Scholars (ICAS) held in
Adelaide, Australia.
◆Jul. 11 Kawakami gives lecture “The Constitution of Japanand security-related legislation” at a public lecture organizedby the Hiroshima Prefectural Public Officials’ Union, held in
Hiroshima Ark Hotel, Hiroshima.
◆Jul. 14 Kiriya gives a speech titled “Reconstruction ofHiroshima and Nagasaki, and Hibakusha” at JICA Peace
Education (a speech for trainees from Sudan, the Philippines,
Burundi, Nepal, Uganda and the Cote d’Ivoire), held at
Hiroshima International Plaza.
◆Jul. 18 Mizumoto gives lecture “Atomic Bomb Experience andWorld Peace” at the Hiroshima Peace Forum organized by the

HIROSHIMA RESEARCH NEWS● Published by● Printed by

8

Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation, held in Hiroshima. ▽Kiriya
gives a speech at a serial course “Learn and Tell about Hiroshima
and Nagasaki” organized by the Hiroshima Municipal Central
Library, held at Hiroshima City Library.
◆Jul. 28 Mizumoto gives lecture “Hiroshima and Peace” at a
training course for journalists organized by Hiroshima City, heldat International Conference Center Hiroshima.
◆Jul. 31 Mizumoto attends the meeting of peace-related
members of Support Project for Education in Cambodia,
organized and held at Hiroshima Prefecture.
◆Aug. 3 Mizumoto gives lecture “Hiroshima and Peace:the Danger of Nuclear Weapons and the Atomic-Bombing
Experience” at the lecture series “War and Peace Seen from theMedical Studies” organized and held at Hiroshima University.
◆Aug. 6 Kiriya appears as a commentator on the “Peace
Memorial Ceremony Relay Broadcast” on RCC Radio. ▽Kiriya
appears on “Ogiue Chiki: Session 22” on TBS Radio. ▽Kiriya
takes part in a show on German television (Broadcast on heute
journal and Kurturzeit).
◆Aug. 7 Mizumoto attends as panelist the Hiroshima Forum of
the 67th Japan-America Student Conference held in Hiroshima.
◆Aug. 20 Mizumoto gives special lecture “The Current Stateand Tasks of Peace Research” at a training program for Level II
Certified Nursing Administrators organized by the Hiroshima
Nursing Association, held at the association.
◆Aug. 22 Mizumoto attends as commentator the Super Global
High School Study Meeting organized by and held at Hiroshima
Jogakuin Junior and Senior High School.
◆Aug. 24–29 Ganesan trains the Myanmar civil service in
Mawlmyaing in Mon state.
◆Sep. 1 Kikkawa gives speech at a public lecture “What Is
Peace?” of the Aki Monto Article 9 Society, held at Honganji
Hiroshima Betsuin in Hiroshima.
◆Sep. 2 Kim presides a business meeting of Association of
Korean Political Studies (AKPS) as its Vice President during theannual convention of American Political Science Association(APSA), held in San Francisco, CA, USA.
◆Sep. 5 Kim serves as a panelist at the session “Conflicts of
Korea” during the annual convention of American Political
Science Association (APSA), held in San Francisco, CA,
USA. ▽Hitoshi Nagai presents a paper “Confronting Vengeful
Thoughts: A History of the War Crimes Program of thePhilippines” at the International Conference on the Pacific
War in the Philippines, University of the Philippines, Diliman,
Quezon City, Philippines.
◆Sep. 8–10
Ganesan attends a meeting of the Asian Political
Science Consortium (APSR) in Tokyo on declining birthrates in
Asia and then attended the Editorial Board Meeting of the Asian
Journal of Comparative Politics.
◆Sep. 12 Fukui presents a paper on the Arms Trade Treaty inthe academic conference organized by the Japan Associationof International Security and Trade. ▽Kawakami attends asa panelist and gives lecture “The Origin of Peace Design for
Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan and Present” for a special
symposium: “Thinking about Peace and War Now”, organized by
the Japan Association of Synthetic Anthropology, held in Tokyo.
◆Sep. 20 Kawakami gives lecture “The Security Legislation andPostwar Japan” organized by the Association for Studies of thePeace Constitution, held in Tokyo.
◆Sep. 27 Nagai presents a paper “After the War Crimes Trials:
The Case of the Philippines” at the International Conferenceof the Boston College Ireland, “Contested Visions of Justice:
The Allied War Crimes Trials in Global Context, 1943-1958,”
Dublin, Ireland.
Vol.18 No.1（January 20, 2016）

Editorial Committee (Mikyoung Kim, Taeko Kiriya), Hiroshima Peace Institute, Hiroshima City University
3-4-1, Ozuka-higashi, Asaminami-ku, Hiroshima, 731-3194 Japan
Phone: +81（0）82 830 1811
Fax: +81（0）82 830 1812
E-mail: office-peace@peace.hiroshima-cu.ac.jp
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HIROSHIMA RESEARCH NEWS Vol.18 No.1, January 2016

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