HIROSHIMA PEACE CULTURE FOUNDATIONPEACE CULTURE
Vol. 2 No.70

February 2014 (semiannual)

8th General Conference of Mayors for Peace
The General Conference of Mayors for Peace, which takes
place once every four years, was held in Hiroshima City from
August 3-6 last year.
This was the 8th time that the conference has been held. A
total of 305 people from 157 cities, 11 national governments
and 18 NGOs and other organizations from Japan and overseas
attended the conference, which had as its keynote theme“Toward a World Without Nuclear Weapons−Conveying the‘Spirit of Hiroshima and Nagasaki’ to the World”. Participants
discussed concrete initiatives to achieve the abolition of nuclear weapons by 2020.

what you have learned in Hiroshima”.
Agenda I
Mayor Matsui facilitated deliberations on five bills, including the election of executive officials and the action plan from2013 to 2017. All proposals were passed without change.
Agenda II
Mr. Yasuyoshi Komizo, Chairperson of this Foundation,
coordinated deliberations on the theme of “Future Initiatives
for the 2020 Vision Campaign”. A report was given on activities to date aiming for the abolition of nuclear weapons by
2020, and participants discussed future initiatives.
At this session there were presentations on activities by the2020 Vision Campaign Association, Japanese member cities,
2020 Vision campaigners, and Berlin University of Applied
Sciences, which is running the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace
Study Course. There were also proposals made on future prospects for the campaign.

Opening Ceremony

Agenda III
Mayor Thore Vestby of Frogn City in Norway coordinatedthis session on the theme of “The Creation of Mayors for
Peace Regional Groups and the Promotion of Joint Activities
with Citizens”. Presentations were given on peace initiatives
from all over the world, and discussions were held.
First was a presentation on French activities and plans fora new activity−a peace conference held jointly by cities in the
Mediterranean region. There were other presentations on initiatives by cities in Germany, Japan and other nations.
Representatives from Turkey and Iraq explained the history of
the Kurdish people, many of whom have lost their lives inchemical weapons attacks.
Mayor Vestby closed the session stating “All participants
must take what you have heard today back to your home countries, discuss it and move to take action”.

Opening ceremony of the 8th General Conference of Mayors for Peace

The conference was opened with a speech by Hiroshima
Mayor Kazumi Matsui, as representative of the host city.
Mayor Matsui spoke about the keynote theme of the conference, stating that the theme “reflects our determination that wemust achieve the abolition of nuclear weapons while as many
atomic bomb survivors as possible are still alive”. He called
for support to further strengthen initiatives aiming for the
prompt realization of a nuclear weapons convention.
Next was a speech by Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki,
representing guests at the conference. Messages were then readout from United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon andthe president of the Russian Cities Federation.

Dialogue Session with Civic and A-bomb Survivors’ Organizations
The theme of this session was “What should we do as citizens to abolish nuclear weapons?” Mr. Kazumi Mizumoto,
vice-president of Hiroshima City University’s Hiroshima
Peace Institute, coordinated this dialogue session between participants and civic and atomic bomb survivors’ organizations.
Firstly, activity reports were given by two representativesof the Hiroshima Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers’
Organizations, as well as representatives of two civic organi-

A-bomb witness testimony
Mr. Keijiro Matsushima, an atomic bomb witness, gave an
A-bomb witness testimony in English. Mr. Matsushima spoke
about the tragic situation at the time of the bombing, saying“The same mistake must not be repeated ever again anywherein the world. Please go back to your countries and tell people
1zations, Hiroshima Kenren and Hiroshima Jogakuin HighSchool.
This was followed by a presentation from the floor, in theform of a film-based introduction of the activities of an organization that produces documentary films on nuclear weapons.
Vice-President Mizumoto summarized the session saying“In this session we were able to reaffirm the existence of acommon awareness among people from various positions of
the need to decry the inhumanity, risks and horror of nuclear
weapons, and work to prohibit and eliminate them”.

Mayor Matsui concluded the closing ceremony by thanking attendees for their participation and cooperation, and astatement of determination to “consolidate our strength andwork to enhance initiatives for the abolition of nuclear weapons by 2020”.
The Hiroshima Appeal was sent to the United Nations
Secretary-General and each nation’s government in September.
The Hiroshima Appeal and other bills may be viewed on the
Mayors for Peace home page.
(Peace and International Solidarity Promotion Division)

Dialogue Session with National Governments and NGO
Representatives
This dialogue session between participants and representatives from national governments and NGOs was held on thetheme of “The Role of National Governments and NGOs in
the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons”, and coordinated by Ms.
Keiko Nakamura, associate professor at Nagasaki University’s
Research Center for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons.
The session started with activity presentations by embassy
representatives from Norway, Mexico and India, as well as the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the International Committee of the
Red Cross, and the international NGO International Campaign
to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). These were followed bya speech by Governor Yuzaki on the topic of the “Hiroshima
for Global Peace” Plan. There were then comments from thefloor and a question and answer session.
Associate professor Nakamura summarized the session
saying “It was extremely meaningful that we could hold this
discussion on why the inhumanity of nuclear weapons is being
raised as an issue now and where we are heading”.

3rd Mayors for Peace Japanese Member Cities
Conference and Presentation to the Japanese
Government of Appeal Document Requesting
the Promotion of Initiatives for the Prompt
Realization of a Nuclear Weapons Convention
On August 5 last year, the 3 rd Mayors for Peace Japanese
Member Cities Conference was held in Hiroshima City, during
the 8th General Conference of Mayors for Peace. The aim of
the conference was to enhance initiatives by Mayors for Peacein Japan. It was attended by 107 members (including 34 leaders) from 67 municipalities throughout Japan.
The conference started with a report from the secretariat
on measures to strengthen the Mayors for Peace management
system.
This was followed by deliberations on a number of items,
including: the designation of Hiroshima City as the leader cityin Japan; the creation of regional groups in Japan; and the presentation of a request to the Japanese government to promote
initiatives for the prompt realization of a nuclear weapons convention. All proposals were approved without change.
There was then a discussion on holding the Japanese
Member Cities Conference in cities other than Hiroshima andNagasaki. The conference closed with the adoption of the 2nd
Mayors for Peace Japanese Member Cities Conference General
Summary, which included an overview of the conference.
In line with the decision made at the conference, on
September 10 Hiroshima Mayor Matsui (President of Mayors
for Peace) and Mr. Kuroda, chief of Nagasaki City Tokyo
Office, visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and presented to
Mr. Kishida, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the request to
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for the promotion of initiatives forthe prompt realization of a nuclear weapons convention.

Peace Message
The American film director
Mr. Oliver Stone gave a lecture asa special guest at the General
Conference.
During his lecture, Mr. Stone
said “The hibakusha have spent
their lives communicating not revenge, but a message of love, notDirector Oliver Stone delivwar, but a message of peace”. Heering his peace message
said that we must achieve the abolition of nuclear weapons during the lifetime of the hibakusha.
Agenda IV
Mayor Matsui facilitated a discussion on the theme of“Toward the Abolishment of Nuclear Weapons by 2020”.
After the coordinators of the Agenda II and Agenda III sessions as well as the dialogue sessions had provided summariesof their respective discussions, there were comments from thefloor and a question and answer session.
Mayor Matsui then summarized this general conference byreading out the Hiroshima Appeal. The appeal was adopted
with a round of applause, ending conference proceedings.

(Peace and International Solidarity Promotion Division)

Closing Ceremony
The closing ceremony commenced with greetings byForeign Affairs Minister Fumio Kishida, read out in his
absence. This was followed by speeches by Mr. Donald
Plusquellic, Mayor of Akron City in America, and Mr.
Tomihisa Taue, Mayor of Nagasaki City.

Presentation of request document (from left: Foreign Affairs
Minister Kishida, Mayor Matsui)2

with producers to link memories of the past to the future. This isplayed out on a digital globe, and may be viewed by anyone.
Mr. Andrew Gordon, professor, Harvard University:
I believe that the best way to communicate overseas what
happened in the atomic bombing is to speak about what you
heard and what you feel as part of normal conversation. When
there are linguistic barriers, it is effective to use photographs
and images as you speak.
Ms. Mayu Yasuda, 3rd Generation Atomic Bomb Survivor,
Participant in the Hibakusha Successor Training Program:
My generation is now at the age where we are starting tohave children. My friends say that even though they want totell their own children what happened in Hiroshima, they are
not able to accurately communicate to them Hiroshima’s history. Anyone living in Hiroshima is a messenger, with a responsibility to pass on the message.
Mr. Ryuichi Narita, professor, Japan Women’s University:
68 years have passed since the atomic bomb was dropped.
People have spent a long period of time communicating theatomic bomb experience, and as part of that process atomic
bombing literature has developed. The atomic bombing was anincident that humankind had never experienced before, and I
think that it is for this reason that people have made the determination to communicate the atomic bombing to future generations as an experience of humankind.
Mr. Toshiaki Miura, Asahi Shimbun GLOBE Editor:
The UNESCO Constitution states “since wars begin in theminds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses ofpeace must be constructed”. I believe that this symposium is
one action to construct defenses of peace in people’s minds.

International Symposium for Peace 2013
“The Road to Nuclear Abolition: Inhumanity of
nuclear weapons and passing A-bomb experienceon to the next generation”
The 2nd Session of the Preparatory Committee for the NPT
Review Conference 2015 that was held in April 2013 saw theannouncement of a joint statement on the inhumanity of nuclear weapons, concurred by over 70 nations. Amidst this growing momentum for the abolition of nuclear weapons, on July
27 Hiroshima City, this Foundation and Asahi Shimbun newspaper jointly held the International Symposium for Peace. Thisis the 19th time that the symposium has been held, and it took
place at the International Conference Center Hiroshima on thetheme of “The Road to Nuclear Abolition: Inhumanity of nuclear weapons and passing A-bomb experience on to the next
generation”.
Keynote Speech
Ms. Patricia Lewis, Research Director for International
Security at the Royal Institute of International Affairs (RIIA),
gave a keynote speech on the topic of “The Inhumane Natureof Nuclear Arms; Efforts Toward their Delegitimization”. Mr.
Kazumi Mizumoto, Vice-President of the Hiroshima Peace
Institute, provided a commentary on Ms. Lewis’ speech.
Ms. Lewis spoke about the current growing momentum ofmoves to decry the inhumanity of nuclear weapons, expressing
frustration at the lack of progress being made on nuclear disarmament through the step-by-step process, and speaking of efforts to further the public’s interest by conveying the messageof Hiroshima and Nagasaki and re-examining the destructive
impact of nuclear weapons.

(Peace and International Solidarity Promotion Division)

Chairperson of this Foundation attended theConference of Cities for Peace in the Mediterranean
On September 21-22, last year, the Conference of Cities for
Peace in the Mediterranean was held in Aubagne City, co-organized by Aubagne (France), Biograd na Moru (Croatia) andGranollers (Spain). The theme of the conference was “Whatkind of local policies to promote a culture of Peace?”
Approximately 130 representatives from Mayors for Peace
member cities and local municipality unions from 15 countries
attended, mainly centering on Mediterranean nations such as
France, Spain, Algeria, Cyprus and Croatia. The Chairpersonof this Foundation, Mr. Komizo, also attended.
Mr. Komizo read out a message from Hiroshima Mayor
Matsui at the opening of the conference, and made a speech. In
the speech, he conveyed Hiroshima’s message to the young
people of the world, and stated his wish to contribute to theconstruction of a peaceful world free of nuclear weapons,
based on mutual understanding. The following day, participants adopted the Aubagne Appeal, and the conference closedwith a speech by the mayor of Aubagne City and others.
Mayors for Peace passed a decision at the 8th General
Meeting to work towards the revitalization of regional activities by member cities, and is calling for members to hold regional conferences to discuss and decide on activity contents
that match regional characteristics.

Mr. Kazumi Mizumoto (left) providing a clear commentary on the
speech by Ms. Patricia Lewis (right)

Speeches by Guests
Ms. Yoko Morishita, the internationally acclaimed ballerina, described the experiences of her grandmother and mother,
who experienced the atomic bombing, as well as her own experiences as a 2nd-generation A-bomb survivor. Stating that theatomic bomb must never be used again, she spoke of her wish
for the abolition of nuclear weapons and perpetual world peace.
Panel Discussion
Reports by panelists:
Mr. Hidenori Watanabe, associate professor, Tokyo Metropolitan University:
The “Hiroshima Archives” (http://hiroshima.mapping.jp/) isa movement where hibakusha and local people work together(Peace and International Solidarity Promotion Division)
3

European Union (EU), including the nuclear weapons states of
the United States, England, France and Russia.
The Peace Declaration and Commitment to Peace read out
at the ceremony may be accessed via the Hiroshima City
homepage (http://www.city.hiroshima.lg.jp/). The Peace
Declaration may also be accessed from the Hiroshima Peace
Memorial Museum website (http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/).

th68 Peace Memorial Ceremony
On August 6, for the 68 th time since the atomic bombing,
Hiroshima City held the Peace Memorial Ceremony in Peace
Memorial Park. Around 50,000 people attended the ceremony
to pray for the souls of the departed and eternal peace.
The ceremony commenced at 8am. First Hiroshima Mayor
Kazumi Matsui and two representatives of the bereaved families dedicated two volumes of the Register of the Names of
Fallen Atomic Bomb Victims, in which are recorded the namesof 5,859 people who have passed away over the past year, tothe stone chest in the Cenotaph. The total number of those registered in the Register has reached 286,818 people, in a total of
104 volumes.
Next was a speech by Noriaki Usui, the president of theHiroshima Municipal Assembly, and offerings of flowers byeach representative. At 8:15am, the time that he bomb was
dropped, the representative of the bereaved families, Siori
Sakoda, and the children’s representative Rintaro Ito rang thePeace Bell, and a minute of silent prayer was observed by all
in attendance.

(General Affairs Division)

Night Game for Peace 2013
On August 6 last year, this Foundation, Seikyo Hiroshima andother organizations co-hosted the Night Game for Peace 2013.
Held at Mazda Stadium, the aim of the event was to use thelocation where Carps baseball fans gather to spread a message
for the abolition of nuclear weapons and the realization of perpetual world peace.
At the Peace Night Game:
1, The large screen showed peace messages from Mayor
Matsui and Governor Yuzaki.
2, The ceremonial first pitch was thrown by Mr. Koji Kikkawa,an actor/singer originally from Hiroshima Prefecture.
3, The Carps manager and players wore a patch with a peace
symbol on their uniforms during the game.
4, At the end of the 5th inning, a red line called Peace Line 25
was formed, at the same height as A-bomb Dome, to appeal
for peace. On the field, Mr. Kikkawa sang a solo version of“Imagine”, and local high school students gave a “Peace
Performance”.
At the agreement of all teams in the Central League, events
calling for peace and recovery from the Great East
Japan Earthquake were held
at all three official games
played on August 6. It became a day where many
people had the opportunity
to think about the abolition
use green and red peaceof nuclear weapons and per- Spectators
posters to create the Peace Line 25
petual world peace.
at the same height as A-bomb Dome

Mayor Matsui then made the Peace Declaration. The mayor
spoke about not only the physical damage on people caused by
the bombing, but also recounted some of the experiences ofthe survivors who have suffered from groundless rumors
resulting from fear of radiation, with his strong statement“Indiscriminately stealing the lives of innocent people, permanently altering the lives of survivors, and stalking their minds
and bodies to the end of their days, the atomic bomb is the ultimate inhumane weapon and an absolute evil”. He called forthe policymakers of the world to come to Hiroshima, contact
with the spirit of the survivors, and look toward the future ofhumankind without being caught up in the past. He urged themto “make the decision to shift to a system of security based ontrust and dialogue”.
The mayor also spoke of the fact that the inhumanity of
nuclear weapons is leading to a steady increase in the numberof nations calling for their abolition. He also strongly appealed
to the Japanese government to promptly develop and implement an energy policy that places top priority on safety andpeople’s livelihoods, thinking about those who were affectedby the Great East Japan Earthquake and the nuclear accident
that followed.

(Peace and International Solidarity Promotion Division)

Memorial Gathering for Nagasaki Atomic Bomb
Victims

After the Peace Declaration, the children’s representatives
Syunji Takeuchi and Yuzu Nakamori read out their
Commitment to Peace, where they used the metaphor of a relay
to express the passing down of the reality of the atomic bombing and the thoughts of the hibakusha in Hiroshima over the
past 68 years from parent to child to grandchild. They said “It
doesn’t matter if the methods are different. What is important
are the actions of each and every one of us. So, let us create
peace together. So that this precious baton may be passed on.”Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in his address, announced thatJapan will host the 2014 gathering of non-nuclear weapons
states, the Foreign Ministers’ meeting of the Non-Proliferation
and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI) in Hiroshima. The Prime
Minister also stated his intention to move quickly on discussions on revisions to the system to certify those with atomic
bomb disease, discussions that include experts and representatives of atomic bomb survivors.

This Foundation, together with Hiroshima City, held the memorial gathering for Nagasaki atomic bomb victims on August
9, the date that the bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. The event
was held as an opportunity for the other bombed city,
Hiroshima, to express its condolences to Nagasaki’s atomic
bomb victims and renew its vow for peace.
Around 100 people attended the gathering held last year in
the lobby on the first floor of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial
Museum, including hibakusha and visitors from Japan andoverseas.
Participants first watched the live television coverage of theNagasaki Peace Ceremony, and then all observed a moment ofsilence at 11.02am, the time when the bomb was dropped.
This was followed by a speech by Mr. Sunao Tsuboi,
Chairperson of the Board of Hiroshima Prefecture Confederationof Atomic Bomb Sufferers’ Associations. The session ended
with a video of a Nagasaki atomic-bomb witness testimony(witness: Mr. Sigeru Aoki).

The ceremony was attended by representatives of bereaved
families from 42 prefectures, the Governor of Hiroshima
Hidehiko Yuzaki, as well as Vuk Jeremić, the President of theUnited Nations General Assembly for the 67th Session, andambassadors and representatives of 70 nations and the(Peace and International Solidarity Promotion Division)4

ing bullying”, to moreglobally-focused discussions on “getting
rid of national borders”, with various
opinions presented.
Through these discussions with junior high Peace Club members act as facilitators
school students frommany different municipalities, participants were able to learn
not only about abolishing nuclear weapons, but also about theimportance of thinking about peace from a broad perspective.

A-bomb Experience Lectures
Last year, the Foundation held once again the A-bombExperience Lectures, which allow people visiting Peace
Memorial Park to listen to A-bomb experiences without theneed to apply in advance.
On a total of seven days, August 4-6, 13, 14, and October
4 and 5, sixteen A-bomb lectures were held (of which four
were held in English), and an animation film on the atomic
bombing was shown.
During this period, there were 1,558 visitors from within
and outside Hiroshima Prefecture, from small children to thosefrom generations that have experienced war, and all listened
intently to the lectures.
Some of the comments provided in the questionnaires included “This made me think once again of the preciousness
and importance of peace” and “I want to tell other people I
know what I heard today”.

August 6: Sadako and Paper Cranes Poster Exhibition
The Sadako and Paper Cranes Poster Exhibition was heldat the main building of the Peace Memorial Museum. The purpose of the exhibition was to communicate the actual damageof the bombing by telling the life story of Sadako Sasaki, thegirl who lost her life to leukemia ten years after the atomic
bombing. Peace Club members took special measures to makesure that the damage from the bombing was communicatedclearly, such as using models to explain the mechanism of theatomic bomb, for example. Some club members provided
explanations in English, and this meant that the truth of thebombing and the importance of peace could be communicatedto many people from Japan and overseas.
At the paper crane section set up at the venue, people who
empathized with the Peace Club’s message of peace made many paper cranes. Some of the warm messages from participants
included “It is important that the children of Hiroshima are
involved in activities to communicate peace. I definitely wantthem to continue”, and “Up until now I had avoided coming tothis place on August 6 (because of the sad memories), but now
I want to come again next year (from an A-bomb survivor)”.
There were also encounters with many different people, including a visit by the Hiroshima-born pianist Ms. Mami
Hagiwara, and the students learned much from the event.

(Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Outreach Division)

Message of Peace Sent Out by Hiroshima’sHigh School Students
Since 2002, Hiroshima City and this Foundation have been
jointly running the High School Students Peace Club, aimed attraining human resources for the promotion of peace. In 2013,26 students participated in the Club, where they learn about theactual damage caused by the atomic bomb, and communicate
the importance of peace through activities such as peace study
sessions with high school students from other municipalities.
August 3-5: Booth Display at the 8th Mayors for Peace
General Conference
In conjunction with the 8 th Mayors for Peace General
Conference, a booth was set up at International ConferenceCenter Hiroshima to show the Peace Club activities as wellas to gather messages for peace. Mayors who participated in
the General Conference left warm words of encouragement for
the Peace Club suchas “It’s wonderfulthat high school students are taking theinitiative to implement peace activities.
This is typical of
Hiroshima. Keep atit” as well as peace
messages. This reaffirmed the importance
Representative of Malakoff City, France,of continuing with acMr. Michel Cibot, writes a message
tivities to communicate peace.

August 8-10: Training in Nagasaki
Peace Club members participated in the Youth Peace
Forum held in Nagasaki City. This Forum is a learning session
where peace delegations from all over Japan, visiting Nagasaki
to participate in the Nagasaki Peace Memorial Ceremony on
August 9, gather together to think about the preciousness ofpeace. The Forum is run by young volunteers (aged 15-30)
from Nagasaki City. With a 5-hour bus ride from Hiroshima to
Nagasaki, the trip was not an easy one, but the students held
discussions on peace with young people from all over Japanand learned about peace activities being implemented byyoung people in Nagasaki City, and the event was extremely
worthwhile for them.
Through activities to date, the Peace Club members have agreatly heightened interest in peace activities, with comments
such as “I want to hold activities to communicate the truth of
the atomic bombing to more people” and “I want to learn more
about damage from war other than atomic bomb damage, andcommunicate to people the importance of peace”. The Peace
Club will continue to communicate the truth of the atomic
bombing damage, and the desire for peace, and are planningvarious activities to do so, including a concert of pianos thatsurvived the atomic bombing.
The Club would also like to increase its membership,building networks with young peace volunteers from Nagasaki
City and high school students involved in peace activities inother prefectures, so that the young generations can build themomentum for peace. We appreciate continued warm support.

August 5: Peace Gathering by Hiroshima’s Young
PeopleThe Peace Study Session held in the Chugoku Shimbun
Company Building was attended by 86 junior high school students from eight municipalities. After listening to an A-bombwitness lecture by Mr. Syoso Kawamoto, there was a group
work session with the Peace Club members acting as facilitators. Discussions were held on the topic of “A Forecast of our
Future−2045”, and the groups talked about what the world
might be like in 2045, 100 years after the dropping of theatomic bomb, and what should be done now to ensure that theworld at that time is a peaceful one. The discussions in thegroups ranged from subjects close to home such as “eradicat-(Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Outreach Division)
5

non-violence, calls foran end to hostile actions
on this day.
In agreement withsuch aims, this Foundation commemorated
the day by raising theMayors for Peace bann e r s t a t i n g “ To t a l Participants observing a moment of siAbolition of Nuclear lence at the Memorial Cenotaph
Weapons by 2020!” at
midday on International Peace Day and observing a minute ofsilence at the Memorial Cenotaph for the Atomic Bomb
Victims, as well as ringing the Peace Bell, to pray for the abolition of nuclear weapons and the achievement of perpetualworld peace.
In response to calls by Mayors for Peace, various commemorative events were also held in other member cities inJapan and overseas.

Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Study Course
Study tour by students from the University ofIndianapolis
From May 12-17, last year, students from the University ofIndianapolis, United States, conducted the university’s third
peace study tour of Hiroshima. The tour was held as part ofHiroshima Peace Studies, which is certified as a HiroshimaNagasaki Peace Study Course. A total of fourteen people(twelve students and two teachers) participated in the tour,
where they experienced Japanese culture and learned about
peace issues.
The group visited facilities such as the Peace Memorial
Museum, listened to the testimony of an A-bomb survivor, attended a recital of atomic bomb poetry at the Hiroshima
National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims,
as well as listening to lectures given at the Radiation Effects
Research Foundation and Hiroshima
Peace Institute. The activities helped
the students gain a deeper understanding of the actual damage causedby the bombing. Upon their return
home, the participating students are
involved in the planning of initiatives
to make future use of what they havelearned. One such initiative was thecreation of posters advertising theHiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Study
Course, which the students provided
to this Foundation and Nagasaki City.
Hiroshima Poster(Peace and International Solidarity Promotion Division)

Welcoming United Nations Disarmament
Fellows
Trainees participating in the United Nations Programme ofFellowship on Disarmament run by the United Nations to train
armament specialists were welcomed to Hiroshima for threedays from September 30, last year.
The United Nations Programme of Fellowship on
Disarmament is a training program that was initiated by theUnited Nations in 1979. Trainees have come to Hiroshima
every year since 1984, for a total of around 800 trainees who
have visited Hiroshima as part of the program.
25 young diplomats from 25 countries participated thistime. After arriving in Hiroshima on the 30th, they attended awelcome reception, where they talked with atomic bomb witnesses and other local participants.
On the following day the group viewed A-bomb Dome andthe Children’s Peace Monument, offered flowers at theMemorial Cenotaph for the Atomic Bomb Victims, as well as
visiting Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and theHiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic
Bomb Victims. They also listened to the atomic bombing testimony of Mr. Keijiro Matsushima, and gained a deeper understanding of the actual damage that resulted from the bombing.
This Foundation’s Chairperson Mr. Yasuyoshi Komizo provided an explanation of Mayors for Peace, after which there was apassionate question and answer session between Mr. Komizo
and the group on initiatives to abolish nuclear weapons.
Comments from theprogram participants
included “Many of thethings that we learnedin Hiroshima will become emotional support
for us as we work toward the abolition of
nuclear weapons”, “I
The group listens to an explanation ofwill definitely convey Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum fromthe message of the peo- the Museum’s Deputy Director (left)
ple of Hiroshima when I
go home”, and “Every part of the program was well-planned. I
love the city of Hiroshima and the people here”.

Central Connecticut State University Field Trip
Central Connecticut State University in America, whichruns the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Study Course, held its
sixth field trip to Hiroshima from July 11-13 last year.
Two teachers and 15 students from the university learned
about the actual damage from the atomic bomb through various activities, including listening to atomic bomb testimonies
by Ms. Sadae Kasaoka and Mr. Keijiro Matsushima, touring
Peace Memorial Park and Hiroshima Peace Memorial
Museum, and attending a recital of atomic bomb poetry at theHiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic
Bomb Victims.
The group also visited other buildings exposed to theatomic bomb including the former Hiroshima branch of the
Bank of Japan, and Fukuromachi Elementary School Peace
Museum, tracing back overthe messages and the scarsof the bombing left in thebuildings.
In their group discussions with university students from Hiroshima, participants talked openly about
various topics including
Discussion between Central Con- what the global community
necticut State University students
should do to abolish nuclear
a n d u n i v e rs i t y s t u d e n t s f ro m
weapons and energy issues.
Hiroshima(Peace and International Solidarity Promotion Division)

International Peace Day Commemorative
Event(Peace and International Solidarity Promotion Division)

The United Nations has designated September 21 every year as
International Peace Day, and as a day of global ceasefires and6New Arrivals Exhibition■ Period: Until June 15 (Sun), 2014

■ Venue: Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum,East Building, B1 exhibition room (4)■ Artifacts on display: 99 A-bomb artifacts donated in

2012

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum has continued to collectdocuments, mementos, photographs and other objects from theatomic bombing held by A-bomb survivors and bereaved families, for the purpose of communicating the actual damage inflicted by the bombing. In 2012 there were 950 items newly
donated by 67 people, and some of these are on display at themuseum.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, East Building, B1 exhibition
room (4)Buddhist statue
Akira Yamada (then, 31), the donor’s father, was exposedto the bomb from his home in Onaga-machi about 3km fromthe hypocenter. Although the roof of the house was blown off,
he wasn’t seriously injured and he went in to the center of thecity the next day to search for family members. Akira foundthis Buddhist statue in the burnt out ruins of the shoe store run
by his older brother and his wife in Tate-machi. In front of thebomb shelter, he found the remains of 2 people and thought
they were his brother and brother’s wife. Akira was the youngest of 6 children, and only he survived the atomic bombing.
Altogether, he lost 10 family members.

Exhibition: A-bomb Drawings by Survivors“People who encountered the A-bomb”■ Period: Until June 15 (Sun), 2014

■ Venue: Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum,East Building, B1 exhibition room (4)In 1978, 2,225 pictures of the atomic bombing sent into NHK
Hiroshima broadcasting station by A-bomb survivors in response to the call by NHK. These were later donated to theHiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. In 2002, the Museum,NHK Hiroshima and Chugoku Shimbun newspaper issued acall for “A-bomb Drawings”, and 1,338 pictures were sent in.
People have continued since then to create pictures of theatomic bombing and still send them in to the Museum eventoday. The Museum sets a theme every year and displays
pictures in accordance with the theme.
This time 34 pictures are on display, in line with the theme“People who encountered the A-bomb”, to show various people
who survived the massive destruction of the atomic bombing.
The atomic bomb destroyed the city in an instant, and took
the lives of so many men and women, young and old. Many of
those who managed to survive were left scarred, losing theirhome and family, wandering around looking for somewhere toevacuate, and forced to live in hardship from day to day.

A Buddhist statue lovingly kept as a family memento
Donated by: Mr. Mikio Yamada

Mikio Yamada recalls:
My father, who lost many relatives all at once, hardly evertalked about the atomic bombing in his lifetime. He placed thisBuddhist statue where he could easily see it and took goodcare of it. He told me to donate it to the Peace Memorial
Museum after his death, but it was so important to him that it
was hard for me to part with it after he died. I finally decided
to donate it after my mother died in August.

These pictures convey the suffering and sadness of people
who have been on the brink of death, the inhumanity of theatomic bomb that turned their daily lives upside down, and themessage of the survivors who lived through the period after
the atomic bombing. We hope that these pictures help people
understand the actual damage inflicted by the bomb.

(Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Curatorial Division)(Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Curatorial Division)

Created by: Mr. Yoshio Takahara

7

sire for peace.
In their reports after the ceremony, some students commented, “I reaffirmed that atomic bombs are an absolute evil”,“I was moved by the wonderful recovery that Hiroshima hasmade”, and “I want to communicate the truth to the people in
my homeland”.

Peace Forum for International Students

Communicating the “Spirit of Hiroshima” to their
homelands
Last year once again the Peace Forum for International
Students was held. This forum is a 2-part event, with the aimof ensuring that the international students who have chosen
Hiroshima as the location of their study understand the “spiritof Hiroshima” and sow the seeds of peace in their respective
homelands.

(Hiroshima City International House)

International Students and Community Friendship Event

Kojin Area Sports Day

August 3(Part 1) Peace Study Session “Learning about theTruth of the A-bomb Damage”
This session was led by Ms. Yumie Hirano (former NAC−
Never Again Campaign− Peace Ambassador, and a trainee of a
Hiroshima City’s program to foster atomic bombing experience messenger). As a new initiative, lectures of 1 hour eachwere given in English and Japanese respectively in the training
room at Hiroshima City International House.
First was the lecture in English. After viewing a 10-minuteDVD entitled “The Ravages of the Atomic Bombing”, photographs and maps were used to provide detailed explanations ofJapanese history, Hiroshima at the time of the bombing, andthe actual damage caused by the atomic bomb. Ten international students from Indonesia and other countries, who understood English more easily than Japanese, attended the session,
which was very well received as it enabled the participants todeepen their understanding by asking questions in English.
The same lecture was then provided in Japanese. A total of
34 international students, from countries such as China,
Mongolia, Vietnam and Korea attended this session. The lecturer made special efforts such as writing difficult Japanesethat the students may not be used to in large letters on drawing
paper, and the lecturer’s passion for the subject was evident.
Answers to the questionnaire included comments such as “Ilearned about the atomic bombing for the first time”, “Thedamage was worse than I imagined”, and “I didn’t know that
there are people still suffering from the effects of radiation, orthat there were bomb survivors who experienced discrimination in marriage, for example”. As many as 83% of respondents said that their way of thinking about the atomic bombing
changed, indicating that people were able to deepen their understanding through language-based learning. The international students’ awareness changed significantly as a result oflearning about the facts.

Hiroshima City International House encourages the international students to proactively get involved in events in the Kojin area where International House is located. This is to help the students develop mutual understanding and interaction with local
residents and live there as members of the community.
Last year once again, the students participated in the Kojin
Area Sports Day, held on May 26 at Hiroshima Municipal
Kojinmachi Elementary School, near International House.
Residents from six towns in the Kojin area participate in thisevent, and the international students participated as membersof the Nishi-Kojinmachi team. There were 21 students from 5
countries (China, Mongolia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Syria)
who joined in the event.
The opening ceremony started at
9am, and each teamproceeded into theground holding their
town’s flag. The international students
were a little confused
during the warm-up
exercises, as they did
not know the move- International students proceeding into thements for the “Radio venue
Gymnastic Exercises”, but they participated actively in the
3-legged race, ball-toss game, tug-of-war, soda-drinking competition and other fun games that followed, and interacted withthe local people. The final competition was the town relay, andthe students ran their hardest as the crowd cheered them on
loudly. For each competition all participants received a participant’s prize in the form of daily commodities such as soap, abroom or tissues, which pleased the students.
The international students have participated in the sports
day every year since International House opened in 2001, and
it is now a fixture in the annual calendar. In addition to participating, the students are also involved in the operation of theevent as committee members, and the community now depends on them. Six of the students joined in preparations at thevenue from 7am. While there was some confusion when thestudents could not understand the local Hiroshima dialect, they
watched everyone else and copied what they were doing, to set
up the tents, chairs and tables, and sort the prizes. They also
helped in the cleanup after the event, for which the local residents were very grateful.
Participating in this event also led to new friendships between international students who have few opportunities totalk to each other. As they enjoyed competing together,cheered each other on, and ate lunch together, students fromdifferent countries got to know each other.
At International House we will continue to provide support
to enable the students to proactively participate in events
where they can interact with members of the community.

August 6(Part 2) Participation in Peace Memorial Ceremony
Approximately 30 international students and their friends
attended the Peace Memorial Ceremony.
The international students were deeply moved by the sightof the many volunteers at the ceremony attended by large numbers of Hiroshima’s citizens. The volunteers worked earnestly
under the blazing sun from early in the morning, providing cold
water and hand
cloths, taking guests
to their seats, andother support activities. The students understood the highlevel interest ofHiroshima’s citizens
in peace activities,
and it seemed thatthey shared withIn the foreign attendees’ seats at the Peacethem a renewed deMemorial Ceremony(Hiroshima City International House)
8These videos can be viewed on smartphones and tablets aswell as computers.
We will continue to work to make the homepage easier to
use and clearer. We encourage you to visit our homepage.

Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic
Bomb Victims:

Homepage Renewal(Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic
Bomb Victims)

The Hiroshima National Peace
Memorial Hall for the Atomic
Bomb Victims has a public
homepage, to ensure that many people know about and visit the facility. The homepage
is available in four languages(Japanese, English, Chineseand Korean), and provides information on the Memorial
Hall. On June 28, 2013, theJapanese and English versions
Top page (English)of the homepage (Japanese:
http://www.hiro-tsuitokinenkan.go.jp/, English: http://www.hiro-tsuitokinenkan.go.jp/english/index.php) were renewed, witha view to making it easier to understand. The main changes areindicated below.

Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic
Bomb Victims:

Chairs Installed in the Temporary Exhibition Area
In the Temporary Exhibition Area at the Hiroshima National
Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims, a program
exhibition is held on a theme decided every year, to communicate the reality of the atomic bombing mainly through displaysof atomic bombing testimonies. The three-screen theater installed in the Temporary Exhibition area also screens 20-minute videos with English subtitles that explain the atomic bombing testimonies on display in a way that is easy to understand.
This area can be found on floor B1, on the left immediately after alighting the escalator, and is viewed by many visitors.
However some visitors have commented that due to old age, it
was difficult to view the videos standing up, and have recommended that we install chairs in the room so that many people
can watch the videos to the end.
In response to such requests, the central display stand wasremoved from the area and ten chairs
have been installedin its place, in time
for the Hiroshima
Peace Ceremony on
August 6 when many
people visit the facility.
Since the chairs
were installed many The Temporary Exhibition Area after thepeople sit there to installation of the chairs
watch and fully appreciate the videos.

Addition of a movie about the facilities: “An Encounter
with Memories”
This 9min 17sec movie provides detailed information on
the Memorial Hall facilities such as the commemorative spacefrom the entrance hall, the Victims’ Information Area, theLibrary and the Temporary Exhibition Area, as well as document viewing methods and more.
Videos from the program exhibition’s three-screen
theater uploaded
In the Memorial Hall’s Temporary Exhibition Area, a program exhibition is held on a theme decided every year. A threescreen theater has been installed to show films of the atomic
bomb testimonies to make them easier to understand. The films
are around twenty minutes long and have English subtitles.
The videos from the three-screen theater are already lentout to schools and other organizations as peace education materials, and as many visitors to the Memorial Hall say that theywould like to view the videos outside of the facility, such as intheir homes or at schools, it was decided to upload the videos
to the homepage.

(Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic
Bomb Victims)

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum A-bomb Study Group Issues Research Report
On August 1, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum A-bomb Study Group issued the 9th issue of the Hiroshima Peace
Memorial Museum A-bomb Study Group Research Report, which is a compilation of the results of the Group’s survey and research activities. Report contributors and topics are indicated below.
<Member Research Reports>
・ Kenji KITAGAWA (Professor Emeritus, Hiroshima University)“Trends Among Students Visiting Hiroshima on School Excursions”
・ Takayasu KOEZUKA・Yousei KOUZUMA・Soichiro WAKIYA・Akinobu YANAGIDA
	“Conservation Science Research on A-bomb Artifacts – Deterioration and Conservation State Survey and Research on
Conservation and Storage Methods”
・ Kazumi MIZUMOTO (Vice-President, Hiroshima Peace Institute, Hiroshima City University)“Can Fukushima Accidents Change Japan’s Nuclear Policy?: Events and Debates on Nuclear Issues in 2011”
・ Akimasa YOKOYAMA (Professor Emeritus, Hiroshima Jogakuin University)“The ultimate figures of hibakusha captured in A-bomb drawings by survivors ―from the 6th till the 11th August 1945―”<Museum Staff Research Reports>
・Ariyuki FUKUSHIMA (Curator, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum)“On the 19th Regular Meeting of the Association of Japanese Museums for Peace”
This report may be read at Hiroshima City libraries, and 100 copies are being distributed freely. The report can also be sent via
post, with postage paid by the user.
[Inquiries] Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Curatorial Division: gakugei@pcf.city.hiroshima.jp
9Memoir of the A-bombing:

Carrying the Wishes of the Atomic Bomb Victims−No more war, No more Hiroshima
did not look like human faces. There were people who had
been thrown by the blast suffering major injuries, people
trapped under buildings, people who had passed out by themultiple shocks of it all, and people running around in confusion saying “Water, please give me water”…the tragic scene
was like a living hell.
I wiped my face with my handkerchief, feeling something
like sweat; when I looked at my handkerchief it was stainedwith bright red blood, and I felt incredible pain. Countless
shards of glass and other material were stuck in my head andface. I wanted to somehow get home as quickly as possible, so
I picked up a stick lying on the ground nearby, and using it asa crutch. I started to walk slowly, step by step, enduring thepain in my leg.
The bridge that I always crossed had collapsed, so I
crawled over the Hiroshima Electric Railway railroad bridge.
The sleepers on the bridge were burning here and there. The
opposite riverbank was also covered in rubble, and there were
flames rising up in some places. It was hard to see where theroad was. There were people covered in blood, people withburns all over their body fleeing on unsteady feet in the same
direction as me. Those people looked more like ghosts thanhuman beings. When I finally reached a place where I could
see the burning cinema in Koi, I felt loneliness but at the sametime a sense of relief that I had managed to walk this far.
It was then that the sky suddenly grew dark, and large
droplets of black rain began to fall. When the rain hit my body
I felt a little pain. With that rain, the blood from my head ran
down to my tattered uniform, and I was now covered in bloodand at a loss as to what to do. A middle-aged man in a rescue
truck passed by, and took me in his truck to an emergency aid
station. In that moment I really felt that I had met with God,and tears of gratitude streamed down my face.
(Full texts is available at our web site: www.pcf.city.hiroshima.
jp/hpcf/english/)by Ken INOKUCHI

Atomic Bomb Witness
for this Foundation

Early years spent in state of emergency
August 6, 1945 was a midsummer’s day with the sun beating down harshly from the morning. I was 14 years old, a second-year student at the former Sanyo Junior High School. I
had left my home in Miyajima to work as a mobilized student
at the Toyo Seikan factory in Temma-cho (1.5km from the hypocenter). In Japan at the time, even junior high school students were pulled in to work at factories producing commodities needed for war, and we worked from morning until night.
At the factory where I worked we were making cans forcanned food to be sent to the battlefields.
Tired from the tough work every day, on the morning ofAugust 6 I said “I want to take a day off”. But my motherurged me on, saying “I’ve made your lunch, so chin up and doyour best”. There were food shortages at the time, and having
a delicious home-made lunch was very special, and something
I was grateful for. Wanting to follow my mother’s encouraging
words I quickly got ready just like any other day, boarded the
7:10am boat leaving Miyajima, crossed over to Miyajimaguchion the opposite shore, and then got on the Hiroshima Electric
Railway train heading for Hiroshima. I got off the train at Koi(now Nishi-Hiroshima) Station, met with three friends, and wewalked together to the main gate of the company.
Trauma from the A-bomb experience continues today
When we arrived at the factory I went to the toilet, andthen headed for the main meeting room for the roll call to beheld at 8:20am. Just before the entrance to the room, in the instant that I looked up at the sky, there was suddenly an intense,
dazzling flash of orange light. I was knocked down by theshock of it, and I crawled into the room. It was then that there
was an awful rumbling boom, and with that the large room
collapsed, with us students all trapped in the rubble. The room
was pitch black, the air foul and stifling. I passed out.
After a while the heartbreaking voices of some of the 150
students trapped in the rubble could be heard calling out tofriends and mothers−“Help! Help!” Fires had taken over thewhole factory, and the main meeting room had also started toburn. I was awoken by the fiery wind. Looking around me, I
saw that my classmates who had been on the east side of thelarge room had been thrown by the blast to the corner of thewest side of the room, and were piled on top of one another together with desks and chairs and rubble.
The students at the top of the pile pushed off the desks andthey were all able to get out, but with the sea of flames surrounding us, everyone desperately looked for a way to escape.
The building was located on the river shore, so most students
jumped 10 meters from the window down to the riverbank.
The flash of light had injured my eyes and I could not really
see what was below, but I didn’t want to die, so I jumped.
However, below me was scrap from building demolition work,and there were a number of long nails sticking up from thescrap. When I pulled out one of the nails that had pierced
through the tabi boots that I was wearing, the pain nearly reduced me to tears.
When I looked along the riverbank, there were 200−300
people who had been involved in building demolition work.
The skin on their backs was all peeled away and hanging downfrom their waist, and the sinews carrying their lifeblood werealso swept away. The faces of the people suffering facial burns

Message for peace
Peace is created by valuing every individual human life.
This can be achieved by placing importance on human relationships in one’s everyday life. Having compassion towards
others, understanding people’s pain, believing in people, putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, learning about othercountries’ customs, lifestyles and cultures through cross-cultural interaction, a willingness to accept each other. Once people come to understand one another through such interaction,
the small peace around us will grow to become peace throughout the world. To all those who take on the responsibility forworld peace from now on−remember my atomic bomb experience and my thoughts so that the awful atomic bomb thatthrew human beings into the depths of hell will never again be
repeated.

ProﬁleKen INOKUCHI
Born in Miyajima in 1931. Graduated from Chuo University Facultyof Law in 1958. Passed the Hiroshima City senior administrative officer exam in the same year. After starting work, obtained professional
license in social education from the Ministry of Education. Mainly involved in the field of communication including peace culture, international exchange and sound youth development. After retirement, elected for four terms as representative of the World Heritage-listed
Itsukushima Shinto Shrine and for two terms to the Miyajima Town
Assembly (prior to the merger with Hatsukaichi City). In 2001, participated as chief promoter in the establishment of the Miyajima
UNESCO Association. Currently serving fourth term as President.
Recently spent four months travelling to 23 countries to participate in
atomic bombing testimonial activities.
10Special feature: International Exchange Festival “Pe-A-Ce-Lo-Ve” 30 Years of History −FINAL−

Volunteer Activities Enriching My Life
Hiroshima citizens? Sometimes I wondered whether we needed to change what we were doing. At a time like that, I heard a
person from an organization supporting Asian nations say “Itis the profits from this festival that allow us to continue our activities”, and this made me happy. It made me think that what
we are doing is useful for international exchange.
I once heard a person from an organization that introduces
Japanese culture say, “One of the foreigners that I met here
told me that he wanted to introduce Japanese culture to his
own country, and as a result I went to America and Germany”.
This is a place to meet new people. I heard that another participant, when he went to Malaysia, bumped into an international
student there who had been studying in Hiroshima, who said
“Pe-A-Ce-Lo-Ve was fun. I want to start up an old boys/old
girls club”. This moved me because it made me think that thefestival has created good memories for the international students in Hiroshima. These anecdotes that I heard now and thendispelled my doubts.

by Maeko NOBUMOTO

Pe-A-Ce-Lo-Ve Executive
Committee Advisor

Pe-A-Ce-Lo-Ve
On November 4, 1984, the 1st Pe-A-Ce-Lo-Ve was held in
the lawn area of Hiroshima City Central Park under the slogan
of Peace and Love, with twelve organizations participating. At
the time, Prime Minister Nakasone had developed a plancalled “International Students of Asia to Japan”, to increase
the number of international students to Japan. As a result, thenumber of international students coming to Hiroshima City also increased, and there were more non-Japanese people in thecity. Pe-A-Ce-Lo-Ve was initiated for Japanese people who
were not sure how to communicate with non-Japanese people,
as a place to enable natural interaction between the twogroups. This festival, whose name comes from the Spanish
pronunciation of “Peace and Love”, was held for the 30th timeon October 27, 2013, and ended its role as a forum for exchange activities.
At Pe-A-CeLo-Ve, the participating organizations are the main
players, who decide on the content
of the festival. The
job of myself andothers in the operating committee isto work to ensure Closing ceremony (message and paperthat the wishes of cranes conferred)
the participating organizations are fulfilled. Therefore, while
the format is the same, the content changes every year. In someyears the number of participating organizations was as manyas 56; the organizations participating change a little from year
to year. Even if the same organizations participate, the content
of the events may change. Of the thirty times Pe-A-Ce-Lo-Ve
was held, it was never completely the same festival. So I think
this is why we could continue every year for 30 years with afresh perspective.
The promises that we kept for 30 years were: the principlethat people using tents put up their tents themselves (even so
we helped each other prepare and clean up); no promotion ofideologies at the festival; commercial organizations cannot attend; even when the deadline has passed we will accept as many participants as possible; and everything is approached witha flexible mindset.
In the early days many international students participated,but after Hiroshima University moved to Higashi-Hiroshima
City their numbers declined. In their place, there was increased
participation by non-Japanese people living in Hiroshima andgrass-roots organizations involved in bilateral exchange activities. The state of Pe-A-Ce-Lo-Ve graphically reflected thechanges in the city of Hiroshima.

Volunteering and Me
Although I have been involved in volunteer activities,
starting with the Pe-A-Ce-Lo-Ve Executive Committee, formany years, I never had a clear intention to volunteer. I wasnever burning with desire to do something to help people. I am
just weak-willed and cannot say no when asked to do something, and I am also foolish, because when I accept a task I
never stop to think about whether or not I can actually do it.
My motto is that I will do my best for any job that I accept, so
I have worked hard to make sure that the job is successfullycompleted. I have done this again and again over the past thirty years, in what has become a long volunteering experience
for me. When I was young I once came home dripping wet after spending time out in the rain for international students, andwhen my husband saw me he looked annoyed, saying, “I don’tknow how you do that”. After that he never said anything
about what I do. I think he just gave up and decided to let me
do what I want.
Volunteer activities have made my life richer. I have met
many different people, and learned things: things that they do
not teach at school, important things that you could never buy
with money. I have so much gratitude for Pe-A-Ce-Lo-Ve, forgiving me these opportunities.
When I see people all over the world who make use of
their skills in volunteer activities, I sometimes think that I
could have been of more use to people if I had studied a little
more.
But we should not have any regrets about things we havenot done in life. I intend to continue in the same way, accepting anything that comes, and doing the very best that I can. If I
can be useful to someone by doing so, then nothing will makeme happier.

ProﬁleMaeko NOBUMOTO
Born 1948. 65 years of age. Has three sons, now living with husband.
Assisted operations of Pe-A-Ce-Lo-Ve from 1985 – 2013.
General manager, Nobumoto Dental Clinic. Director, Hiroshima Peace
Culture Foundation. Former deputy director-general of the Hiroshima
Canada Association. Yes! Campaign representative. President,
Hijiyama Girls’ Junior and Senior High School. Member of JOIN
Hiroshima.

Doubts
Does Pe-A-Ce-Lo-Ve fulfill its role as a place of exchange
between non-Japanese people living in Hiroshima and11Complete Renovation of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum marks its 58th anniversary in 2013. With the Main Building showing signs of aging, renovations are required. Today, the majority of the population in Japan has never experienced war, so to more clearly
and accurately communicate the reality of the damage caused
by a atomic bomb, the museum’s exhibits will also be fully reviewed together with the building renovations.
With input from Hiroshima city residents, numerous studies were conducted by the Exploratory Committee made up of
members with experience in academic positions, A-bomb survivors and others. We will be going ahead with the renovations
in line with the Basic Plan for the Hiroshima Peace Memorial
Museum’s Displays developed in July 2010.

that was destroyed in an instant, the zone will include largescale A-bomb artifacts such as broken brick walls, the clothes
that the deceased were wearing, photos taken of corpses andpeople suffering from burns, and more. Many artifacts will be
combined in this aggregate exhibit to convey an image of thedevastating situation at the time.
In the “A-bomb Survivors” zone, the focus is on people.
The belongings of the deceased are exhibited together withphotographs of the deceased and detailed descriptions of thesituation when the bomb was dropped. The exhibit also shows
the thoughts of those who donated the articles on display, communicating each individual life and the sorrow of the bereaved
families. This section also uses the accounts of the survivors tocommunicate the reality of the A-bomb damage, including thephysical and mental health problems that continue up to thepresent day.

Viewing route will change
Currently, visitors enter the museum from the 1st floor of
the East Building, and after first viewing the exhibits there,
move via the connecting corridor to the Main Building, where
they view the exhibits and then leave via the Main Building.
The results of a survey of visitors to the museum showedthat on average, it takes around 45 minutes to view the exhibits. Of that time, 19 minutes is spent viewing the exhibits in
the Main Building. These results indicate that inadequate time
is being spent on viewing the exhibits in the Main Building,which form the core of the museum and convey the actual
damage from the atomic bombing.
To resolve this issue, after the renovations the viewing
route will be different. Visitors will enter the museum from the
1st floor of the East Building, take the new elevator up to the
3rd floor, view the introductory exhibits and then move immediately to the Main Building via the connecting corridor, sothat they can view the Main Building exhibits first. Visitors
will then return to the East Building via the connecting corridor, viewing the East Building exhibits as they move down thefloors, and exit from the 1st floor of the East Building.

Aggregate exhibit “Hiroshima on August 6” in the Main Building

Large-scale information search device
Upon returning to the East Building from the Main
Building, visitors will view the “Danger of Nuclear Weapons”
exhibit on the 3rd floor and the “Hiroshima’s Progress” exhibiton the 2nd floor. Here will be installed a new Media Table,
which is a large-scale information search device allowing visitors to investigate topics they are interested in, in greater
depth. The Media Table is equipped with touch panel screens,and visitors may obtain information on various topics that theywould like to know about.

Exhibits based on four themes
The permanent exhibition will be divided into four themes:“Introduction” (3 rd floor, East Building), “Truth of theBombing” (Main Building), “Danger of Nuclear Weapons” (3rdfloor, East Building) and “Hiroshima’s Progress” (2nd floor,
East Building), and the content of the exhibits, including thecomposition and materials, will change significantly. In particular, the “Truth of the Bombing” section in the Main Building
is positioned as the central exhibit theme, functioning toachieve the mission of the museum.

Grand opening in 2018
The renovation work on the East Building will commencein 2013 and continue until 2015, while the work on the Main
Building is planned for 2016 and 2017. Either one of the buildings will be open for visitors during the renovation period. The
grand opening for viewing of both the East Building and theMain Building is planned for 2018.

Greater focus on human damage
The museum’s “Truth of the Bombing” section will convey more powerfully the inhumanity of atomic bombs, theenormous extent and devastation of the damage, as well as thesuffering and sorrow of A-bomb survivors and families. Thissection is divided into two main zones: “‘Hiroshima on August6” and “A-bomb Survivors”.
The “Hiroshima on August 6” zone will show how the heatwaves, blast and radiation from the atomic bomb combined in
a complex way to bring about such great damage to the cityand its people. To show how many lives were lost in the city

(Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Curatorial Division)

Information

Our Newsletters Are Accessible on the Internet
You can read our newsletters (Japanese version and English
version) on the Internet.
[URL] http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/hpcf/paper/〔Request〕Please inform us if you change your mailing address.
HIROSHIMA PEACE CULTURE FOUNDATION
1-2 Nakajima-cho, Naka-ku, Hiroshima
730-0811, JAPAN
Phone. 81-82-241-5246
E-mail: p-soumu@pcf.city.hiroshima.jp〔URL〕http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/hpcf/

HIROSHIMA PEACE CULTURE FOUNDATIONPEACE CULTURE
12