HIROSHIMA PEACE CULTURE FOUNDATIONPEACE CULTURE
Vol. 1 No.68

October 2012 (semiannual)

The Opening of an Exhibition about the Atomic Bombings andDisarmament in the United Nations Office at Geneva
A new exhibition titled “Toward a World Free of Nuclear

attended by over 100 people from the United Nations,

Nations Office in Geneva. Following on from the exhibitionand others.

Weapons” was opened on November 11, 2011 in the United

Japanese government, those from Hiroshima and Nagasaki

opened at United Nations Headquarters (New York City,

In his speech, Kazumi Matsui, Mayor of Hiroshima, said

United States), this exhibition was also made possible throughthat the exhibition will be a base for the extension of initia-

port from the government of Japan, the United Nations andand achieve perpetual world peace. He also said that he hoped

a joint effort by Hiroshima City and Nagasaki City, with sup-tives by Hiroshima and Nagasaki to abolish nuclear weapons

others.

many people who visited the exhibition would actually comeOn display at the exhibition are heat-scorched tiles, a stat-to Hiroshima to hear for themselves the wishes of the atomic

ue of an angel from Urakami Cathedral, as part of a total ofbomb survivors.

thirteen artifacts from Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These are

The United Nations employees and members of the gener-

shown together with twelve photographic panels explaining

al public who attended the opening ceremony viewed the pan-the reality of atomic bomb damage and disarmament initia-

els and atomic bombing artifacts with great interest.

tives by the United Nations and others.

The opening ceremony held at the exhibition venue was(Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Outreach Division)

Mayors of Hiroshima (at front) and Nagasaki (at rear) performing the tape-cutting at the opening ceremony1With a view to strengthening the financial base in particular,
an international committee of representatives from existing
secretariats and member cities will be set up and the initial
meeting will be held in Hannover.

The 8 Executive Conference of Mayors
for Peace in Granollers, SpainthMayor of Hiroshima visits Barcelona and Geneva to ask
for cooperation in Mayors for Peace activities
November 10
After the Executive Conference, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi
Matsui visited the United Cities and Local Governments(UCLG) headquarters in Barcelona, Spain, where he met with
Secretary General Josep Roig and requested a further strengthening of ties with Mayors for Peace.
This was followed by a visit to the Government of
Catalonia, where Mayor Matsui met with President Artur Mas.
He asked for understanding and cooperation in the Mayors for
Peace activities, and urged the President to visit Hiroshima
and Nagasaki to see for himself the reality of the atomic bomb
damage.

Representatives of participating cities

Mayors for Peace holds its General Conference once every
four years, and in the interim holds its Executive Conference.
The 8th Executive Conference for Mayors for Peace was heldin Granollers, Spain on November 9 and 10 last year.
Conference participants deliberated and took decisions on
future initiatives and the holding of the 2013 General
Conference in Hiroshima, and also held wide-ranging discussions on future operational methods and other topics. The
General and Board of Directors Meeting of the 2020 Vision
Campaign Association was held in conjunction with the
Executive Conference, and participants discussed the futureplans of the 2020 Vision Campaign.

November 11
Mayor Matsui visited the headquarters of the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva, Switzerland,
where he met with President Jakob Kellenberger. In light ofPresident Jakob Kellenberger’s statement in April 2010 saying
it is “difficult to envisage how any use of nuclear weapons
could be compatible with the rules of international humanitarian law,” Mayor Matsui said that the direction which Mayors
for Peace and the Red Cross were taking was the same and hewould like to promote further cooperation.
(Peace and International Solidarity Promotion Division)[Participating Cities]
Hiroshima (Japan), Nagasaki (Japan), Granollers (Spain),
Biograd na Moru (Croatia), Halabja (Iraq), Hannover(Germany), Malakoff (France), Manchester (UK), Volgograd(Russia), Ypres (Belgium) , and Fongo Tongo (Cameroon)Awarded the XXXⅡ Prize for Peace fromthe United Nations Association of Spain[Items Deliberated and Decided]① Develop a grass-roots petition drive conducted by all member cities calling for the start of negotiations on a nuclear
weapons convention.
② Effective communication of requests and/or statements
calling for a world free from nuclear weapons.
③ Commemorate the 5000-city milestone with a new a-bombposter exhibit available to all member cities. The poster
exhibit will be held in Vienna at the same time as the 1st
meeting of the Preparatory Committee for the 2015 NPT
Review Conference in 2012.
④ Invite disarmament ambassadors from each nation, UN
officials, and others to the Mayors for Peace General
Conference in Hiroshima in 2013.
⑤ Identify celebrities and other opinion leaders who support
the 2020 Vision and appoint them to serve as 2020 VisionAmbassadors.

Mayors for Peace has been awarded the XXXII Prize for
Peace from the United Nations Association of Spain (ANUE).
ANUE recognized the work of Mayors for Peace, which now
consists of more than 5,000 member cities in 153 countries/
regions around the world, for its peace-related activities forthe elimination of weapons of mass destruction (in particular
the elimination of nuclear weapons).
On November 9 last year, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi
Matsui, who was in Spain to participate in the Mayors for
Peace Executive Conference, attended the Awards Ceremony
held at the Barcelona government office, and said “This issuch a great pleasure. The average age of the atomic bomb
survivors is now 77, and I want to focus further efforts on fulfilling their fervent wish to eliminate nuclear weapons.”
Around one hundred people, including Executive Committee
participants, attended the ceremony.

In conclusion, the Resolution toward the Abolition of Nuclear
Weapons and the Final Communiqué were adopted. The
Resolution was sent to all member cities in addition to nuclear
weapon states, states suspected of developing or possessing
nuclear weapons, and the United Nations, and the Final
Communiqué was sent to all member cities.
[Discussion Points]① Holding Executive Conferences in Hiroshima or Nagasaki② Managing the cost of operating Mayors for Peace③ Establishing national or regional chapters, and roles andresponsibilities for activities in each region

The XXXⅡ Prize for Peace Awards Ceremony (November 9, 2011)2

United Nations Association of Spain (ANUE)
ANUE is an NGO registered with the United Nations
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and was established in Barcelona, Spain, in 1962. The Prize for Peace wasinitiated in 1979, and is awarded to individuals or groups thatare recognized for their contribution to peace-building andhuman rights protection, the goals stipulated in the United
Nations Charter. It is awarded on the date of the founding of
the United Nations (October 24).

After listening to the explanation of the inscription by peacevolunteers, they placed flowers at the Cenotaph. This was followed by a tour of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
Report on Results of the 8 th Mayors for Peace Executive
Conference ／ Viewing of the film ‘Hiroshima’
Mayor Matsui reported on the results of the 8th Mayors for
Peace Executive Conference held in Granollers City, Spain,
last November. The participants also viewed a part of the film
‘Hiroshima’, which portrays the awful situation after the atomic bombing.

(Peace and International Solidarity Promotion Division)

Session I (Report on Activity Case Studies in Membership
Cities)① Activity Case Study Report by Matsumoto City, Nagano
Prefecture
Matsumoto Mayor Akira Sugenoya reported on Matsumoto
City’s governmental peace initiatives and provided an overview
of the 23rd United Nations Conference on Disarmament Issue in
Matsumoto held in July last year.
① Activity Case Study Report by Zushi City, Kanagawa
Prefecture
Zushi Mayor Ryuichi Hirai reported on the 1st Zushi Peace
Day held in August last year and the city’s initiative to dispatch peace messengers to Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

1st Mayors for Peace Japanese Member
Cities Meeting
On January 13 and 14 of this year, Mayors for Peace,
Hiroshima City and Nagasaki City held a 2-day meeting ofMayors for Peace Japanese Member Cities, the first ever suchmeeting, with the aim of enhancing initiatives of Mayors for
Peace in Japan. The meeting was held in Hiroshima.

January 14 (Sat)Session II (Future Activities in Japan)
On the second day, participants deliberated on the following
items: all member cities to conduct a grass-roots petition campaign calling for the start of negotiations for a nuclear weapons convention; a request to be made to the Japanese national
government to promote initiatives for the prompt realization ofa nuclear weapons convention; member cities to hold poster
exhibits on the reality of the damage inflicted by atomic
bombs. All proposals were approved without revision.
There were also lively discussions on the appropriate cost
sharing arrangement for operation of Mayors for Peace, theestablishment of a Mayors for Peace regional organization in
Japan, and other items.
The secretariat provided an explanation of the dispatch ofa Mayors for Peace delegation to the 1 st Preparatory
Committee (PrepCom) for the 2015 Review Conference of theParties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Weapons (NPT) (held in Vienna, Austria), and the holding of
the 8th Mayors for Peace General Conference in Hiroshima in
August 2013. There was also a discussion on changing thename of Mayors for Peace in Japan to Leaders for Peace, andappropriate disaster countermeasures based on the experienceof the Great East Japan Earthquake.

1st Mayors for Peace Japanese Member Cities MeetingFirst Japanese Member Cities Meeting
Since its establishment in 1982, Mayors for Peace has focusedsolely on calling overseas cities to become members, with aview to increasing international support for the abolition of
nuclear weapons. However, the organization became aware of
the need for local governments in Japan, the only country tohave suffered an atomic bombing, to take the lead in initiatives
for the elimination of nuclear weapons and the gathering ofinternational public support. Therefore from February 2008,
Mayors for Peace has been calling on Japanese cities too to
become members.
As a result, as of April 1, 2012, 1,139 cities (65.4% of allmunicipalities in Japan) have become members of Mayors for
Peace. This is over 20% of the total membership (5,221 citiesin 153 countries), and it is foreseeable that the role expected of
the Japanese member cities will further increase in the future.
It was against this backdrop that the 1st Mayors for Peace
Japanese Member Cities Meeting was held in Hiroshima. The
meeting was attended by 131 people (of which 41 were headsof government) from 88 municipalities across Japan.

Session III (Adoption of Final Document), Closing
Participants adopted the 1 st Mayors for Peace Japanese
Member Cities Meeting Final Document, which incorporated
the items approved in Session II, and the meeting was closedwith a speech by the deputy chairman of Mayors for Peace,
Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue.
Activities Petitioning the Japanese Government
Regarding the request to the Japanese national governmentthat was approved at the meeting, on January 26 of this year,
Hiroshima Mayor Matsui and Mr. Norihiro Kamichika, director of Nagasaki City Tokyo Office, met with Mr. Jo Nakano,the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs,
and submitted a written request to Prime Minister Yoshihiko
Noda calling for leadership to start concrete negotiations forthe prompt realization of a nuclear weapons convention.

January 13 (Fri)Opening, A-Bomb Testimony
After the opening speech by Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi
Matsui, the Chairman of Mayors for Peace, an a-bomb testimony was given by Ms. Yoshiko Kajimoto. Moved by the testimony, all participants renewed their intention to eliminate
nuclear weapons.
Visit and Flowers Placed at the Cenotaph for A-Bomb Victims／ Tour of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
Participants then visited the Cenotaph for A-Bomb Victims.

(Peace and International Solidarity Promotion Division)
3

Study Courses have been established at a total of 56 universities (40 in Japan, 16 overseas).

Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Study
Course field trip by International
Christian University:(Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Outreach Division)

International students learn at the atomic
bombing sites

Hiroshima-Nagasaki Atomic Bomb
Exhibition held in Australia for the
first time

The cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are working with universities all over the world to establish and promote theHiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Course. The purpose of the course
is to communicate to the younger generations the aspiration ofpeace as an academic and universal discipline, an aspiration
incorporating the fundamental message of the hibakusha(atomic bomb victims and survivors): “No one else should suffer what we did”.
As part of this initiative, a group from International
Christian University (ICU), one of the participating universities, visited the Foundation from November 27 to 29 last year.
Selected in each country by the Rotary Club, whose headquarters are located in America, the twenty participants were international students from America, France, Argentina, Indonesia,
Denmark and Venezuela majoring in peace research as part oftheir master’s course at ICU. This was the ninth field trip by
the ICU to Hiroshima after their first trip in 2003.
The first day was spent viewing the Hiroshima Peace
Memorial Museum and Peace Memorial Park, where the students learned about the reality of the damage from the atomicbomb.
On the second day, the students listened to the testimonyof an a-bomb survivor, Mr. Keijiro Matsushima. They thenvisited the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the
Atomic Bomb Victims, where they heard recitations of poetry
based on the atomic bombing, and also experienced reciting
poetry themselves, thus deepening their understanding of themessage of the a-bomb survivors. In the subsequent session
with researchers from the Hiroshima Peace Institute, the students participated in a discussion on various issues faced by
Hiroshima in the post-war period, including the debate andreality of the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima, the abolition of nuclear weapons and civilian use of nuclear power.
There was a lively question and answer session, with participants asking questions from the viewpoint of their respective
countries.

For a period of around a month from October 14 to November
16, 2011, the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Exhibition
was held in the city of Cairns, in the state of Queensland,
northern Australia. Over 5,000 people visited the exhibition.
The Atomic Bomb Exhibition was planned with a view tocommemorating and promoting among city residents the factthat Cairns became amember of Mayors for
Peace in April 2010. This
was the first HiroshimaNagasaki Atomic Bomb
Exhibition to be held inAustralia.
From October 19 to
27, Chairman of thisExhibition venue
Foundation Mr. Steven
Leeper travelled to Cairns together with Mr. Hiromi Hasai, an
atomic bombing witness, and two staff members, where they
participated in the exhibition’s official opening ceremony andcommemorative forum.
Cairns Mayor Val Schier welcomed the visit by those fromthe Foundation, saying “I am proud to be one of the 5,000
mayors of cities throughout the world that have expressed
their support for world peace and a world without nuclear
weapons. Cairns will proactively use our local history of war
as a means of promoting peace.”
On October 21, following on from the exhibition’s opening ceremony, a public forum was held as a commemorative
event for the exhibition, on the theme of ‘What is War For?’With the famous Australian journalist George Negus acting as
MC, the mayor of Cairns, Chairman Leeper and Mr. Hasai
participated as speakers. The 200-seat venue was full, andthere was passionate debate for two and a half hours from
7:30pm until after 10pm.
Another exhibition-related event that was held from
October 21 to 25 was 9 atomic bombing testimonies, given at
the exhibition venue and Japanese schools and high schools
throughout the city. The audience at each session listened withgreat interest to Mr. Hasai’s testimony.
Since its inception
in 1995, the HiroshimaNagasaki Atomic Bombing
Exhibition has been heldin 38 cities in 14 countries, including this timein Cairns. The Peace
Memorial Museum willcontinue to communicate the reality of the Mr. Hasai giving his atomic bomb tesatomic bombing to those timony at a Japanese school in Cairns
overseas and work toward
the elimination of nuclear weapons.

Commemorative photo with an A-Bomb Witness

On the third day, the students listened to an explanation by
this Foundation’s Chairman Steven Leeper about initiatives forthe abolition of nuclear weapons by 2020.
Currently (as of April 1, 2012), Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace(Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Outreach Division)
4

Award of Merit, can be viewed at the “Kid’s Peace Station”
section of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum web site.

The 26 Children’s Peace Drawings
Competitionth(Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Outreach Division)

The awards ceremony for the Children’s Peace Drawings
Competition was held on December 17 (Sat), 2011 inMemorial Hall at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.
This competition has been
held 26 times since 1986, when
it was initiated with a view toraising children’s awareness of
the importance of peace. This
year a total of 5,162 drawings
were submitted: 4,357 drawings from children from 120
elementary and junior highschools in Hiroshima City, and805 drawings from children
from 8 countries overseas(America, Iran, India, Australia,
South Korea, Germany, France
and Russia).
“Excellence” (Elementary School
Category)
The Awards Ceremony was
Miyu Kimura,attendedby 34 of the stuHiroshima Univercity Attacheddents who won Excellence or
Elementary School 4 GradeD i s t i n c t i o n Aw a r d s . T h e yreceived an award certificate
and commemorative plaque.
After the awards ceremony,a tape-cutting ceremony for the
opening of the exhibition washeld in Exhibition Room 5, inHiroshima Peace Memorial
Museum, by those who won
Excellence Awards. The exhibition was held until January
31 (Tues), 2012. A total of 122
drawings were on display,including 3 drawings that won
the Excellence Award, 39 draw“Excellence” (Junior High School
ings that won the Distinction
Category)Award, and 80 drawings that
Midori Hirano,
Hiroshima Univercity Attached
won the Award of Merit.
Junior High School 2 Grade
Miyu Kimura, the fourthyear student from Hiroshima
University Attached Elementary
School who won the ExcellenceAward in the Elementary School
division, drew a picture of the
A-Bomb Dome surrounded bysunflowers with the wish thatpeople may live peacefully.
She said “Japan has become
gloomy since the Great East
Japan Earthquake, so I drew a
picture to cheer people up”.
Midori Hirano, the second“Excellence” (Overseas Category)
year student from Hiroshima
Seo Min Woo,
University Attached Junior
Daegu Dalsan Elementary School
2 GradeHigh School who won the
Excellence Award in the Junior High School division, said “I
wanted to express the fact that we shouldn’t forget that pastwars have made us what we are today”.
The names and drawings of those who won the Excellence
and Distinction Awards, and the names of those who won the

Visitors to Hiroshima National Peace
Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb
Victims Reaches Two Million
On November 4, 2011, the number of visitors to Hiroshima
National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims
reached two million people. The 2 millionth visitor was Ms.
Ingrid Ziege (56), a German tourist visiting Hiroshima City.
Mr. Kazuyuki Iwakawa, the Director of the Memorial Hall,
presented Ms. Ziege with commemorative gifts including apictorial record of the damage from the bombing, a card
stand in the shape of the A-Bomb Dome, and a bouquet offlowers. Ms. Ziege said “I came to Hiroshima because I
wanted to see how acity changed after
the atomic bomb was
d r o p p e d . To d a y I
was strolling around
Peace Memorial
Park, and after viewing the A-Bomb
Dome I visited theHiroshima National
Peace Memorial Hallfor the Atomic Bomb
Presentation of commemorative gifts
Victims. This is aquiet place of prayer.”
Mr. Iwakawa said “From now on we want as many people
as possible to come to visit Hiroshima National Peace
Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims and Hiroshima
Peace Memorial Museum. And rather than keeping their experience of these two places to themselves, we want visitors totell their family and friends about it.”
Since its opening on August 1, 2002, the time it took forthe number of visitors to Hiroshima National Peace Memorial
Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims to reach two million was
nine years and three months. In 2010 the number of visitors
was 215,000 people, the most ever for a single year.
In the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the
Atomic Bomb Victims is the Hall of Remembrance, established to peacefully pay tribute to those who lost their lives in
the atomic bombing and to contemplate peace. There are also
the names of the atomic bomb victims, registration of theirphotographs, and a collection and public display of atomic
bombing memoirs and films of atomic bombing testimonies.
Recitations of atomic bombing memoirs are also held, to communicate to later generations the horror of war and the atomic
bomb and the importance of peace. Children and students visiting Hiroshima for peace studies as well as many others visit
the Memorial Hall.
There are also many visitors from overseas, and some of
the atomic bombing memoirs have been translated into 16 languages, including English, Chinese and Korean, so that overseas visitors can read them in their mother tongue. There arealso recitations of the atomic bombing memoirs in English,
and the memoirs and films of the memoirs are also available
on the home page. These will be used to broadly communicate
this information both in Japan and overseas.

th

nd

nd

(Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic
Bomb Victims)
5to Atomic Bomb and Peace and then Peace Declaration,
Protest Letters etc. There are also translations of the Peace
Declaration available in eight languages (Arabic, Chinese,
English, French, German, Korean, Russian and Spanish).
The Peace Declaration can also be found in the Peace
Declaration section of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial
Museum web site.

67 th Hiroshima Peace Memorial
Ceremony― Determination and Request from Hiroshima
to the World to Abolish Nuclear Weapons ―On August 6 (Mon), for the 67th time since the atomic bomb
was dropped, the Peace Memorial Ceremony organized by
Hiroshima City was held in the city’s Peace Memorial Park.
Approximately 50,000 of the bereaved attended to pray for therepose of the souls of the victims and eternal peace.
The ceremony started at 8am. First, Hiroshima Mayor
Kazumi Matsui and two representatives of the bereaved families dedicated two Registers of the Names of Fallen Atomic
Bomb Victims, which records the names of the 5,729 people
who passed away in the past year, to the Cenotaph for the
A-Bomb Victims. This brings the total number of people
recorded in the registers to 280,959, with a total of 102 registers.
This was followed by a speech by the Hiroshima City
Council Chairperson Kazuo Tanekiyo, and a dedication of
flowers by each representative. At 8:15am, the time that thebomb was dropped, Yuji Harato, representing the bereaved
families, and Seira Kishimoto, the children’s representative,
rang the Peace Bell, and all participants observed one minuteof silent prayer.
Mayor Matsui then read out the Peace Declaration, andincluding some atomic bombing testimonies that had been sent
in by survivors. Stating that he wants to communicate to theworld not only the pain, sadness and suffering of that experience but also a sincere desire for the abolition of nuclear
weapons, he made a plea: “People of the world! Especiallyleaders of nuclear-armed nations, please come to Hiroshima tocontemplate peace in this A-bombed city”.
Reflecting on Hiroshima’s recovery period as he spoke ofthe positive will to live of the survivors of the Great East
Japan Earthquake that hit Japan on March 11 last year and theaccompanying nuclear accident, Mayor Matsui had words ofencouragement: “Please hold fast to your hope for tomorrow”.
He called on the national government to establish an energy
policy that guards the safety and security of the people.
The mayor ended with a strong declaration – “From ourbase here in Hiroshima, we pledge to convey to the world theexperience and desire of our hibakusha, and do everything in
our power to achieve the genuine peace of a world without
nuclear weapons”.
After the Peace Declaration, two children’s representatives, Ryuki Miho and Mayu Endo, read out the Commitment
to Peace, saying “We will continue to create peace. We promise we will keep acting, alongside all those we know”.
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda stated in his speech that
the Japanese government will support all kinds of initiatives topass on the atomic bomb experience. He also said that the
government would work to establish an energy mix in the midto-long term that would ensure citizens’ peace of mind, basedon the fundamental strategy of moving away from dependence
on nuclear power generation.
The ceremony was attended by representatives of bereaved
families from 41 prefectures, the Prime Minister, Hiroshima
Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki and ambassadors in Japan from
America, UK and France, as well as representatives of 71
countries and the European Union (EU).
The ceremony was broadcast live on the Internet. From
10:20pm that night, Mayor Matsui made the Peace Declaration
in English against the backdrop of the A-bomb Dome, which
was also broadcast live on the Internet.
The full text of the Peace Declaration read out at the ceremony is available on the Hiroshima City Homepage, by going(General Affairs Division)

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Special Exhibition“Moto-machi:
At the Heart of Hiroshima’s Changes”
After the Meiji Restoration, Hiroshima developed as the political and economic center of the Chugoku-Shikoku Region, taking on the characteristics of both a military town and education town as Japan modernized.
The castle lands which were bordered by the outer moat
and the Otagawa River were the beginning of Hiroshima city,
leading the area to be called Moto-machi. From the Meiji
Period to the early Showa Period, many military installations
were added to Moto-machi, giving the area the feel of a military town.
The dropping of the A-bomb in 1945 caused catastrophic
damage to Moto-machi, which was very close to the hypocenter of the blast. After the bombing, the expansive area thatappeared in the center of town took on a completely new character. With its housing developments for people who lost theirhomes and its park, a library, the municipal stadium, and otherplaces for people to gather, it played a big role in Hiroshima’s
recovery.
This exhibit follows the progress of Moto-machi up until
the present day, which also mirrors the history of Hiroshima.

6◇ Period: July 13 (Fri.) – December 12 (Wed.), 2012
◇ Hours: 8:30 – 18:00 (–19:00 in August, –17:00 in
December)
Entrance is closed 30 minutes before closing time.
◇ Venue: Exhibition Room (5), B1F, East Building,
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum◇ Contents:
・The Heart of a Military City・Annihilation
・From Rebuilding to Redevelopment
・Becoming a Lively Place
・Now◇ Exhibits: 110 photo panels, 26 artifacts, 6 reproductions, 3 films
・Wood Blok Print: Safe Arrival in Hiroshima Prefecture
・“School trip diary” written in the Taisho Period
・Aerial photos of Moto-machi before and after the bombing
・Subordinate’s items that the head of the Chugoku
Military District Weaponry Division’ repair shop preserved
・A movie commemorating the Moto-machi District
Redevelopment Program・A winning ball from the first night game held at the former Hiroshima Municipal Baseball Stadium
・Bleachers from the former Hiroshima Municipal Baseball
Stadium◇ Admission: Free
◇ Contact:
Curatorial Division, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
Tel: 082-241-4004, Fax: 082-542-7941
Email: hpcf@pcf.city.hiroshima.jp

“I PRAY”, performed by children hoping for peace

Step into the world together!

“I PRAY” is a musical performed by the children of Hiroshima― Day of International Cooperation &Exchange 2011 ―hoping for a future with no war, using the atomic bombing as
the theme. The audience was greatly moved by the passionate
performances of the children.

On November 20, 2011, thirty-two events were held at
International Conference Center Hiroshima, the area near

World Kitchen and Folk Art Bazaar

Heiwa Odori Boulevard and other venues, as part of Day of

In Hiroshima International Village, the name given to theInternational Cooperation & Exchange 2011. This was the 12th

area near Heiwa Odori Boulevard south of Internationaltime that the event has been held, and a total of 7,200 partici-

Conference Center Hiroshima, various dishes from aroundpants learned about international exchange and cooperation.

the world were sold at food stalls. The Folk Art Bazaar, with

its strong international flavor, was also bustling with many

“Chikyu no Stage 6” – Back Home for Eternity :visitors. Profits went to various organizations’ international

Special Earthquake Version

cooperation activities.

This year once again this event was led by Dr. Norihiko

Kuwayama (a psychiatrist who runs a clinic in Natori City,

Miyagi). He used live performance and enlarged images to
describe various incidents happening around the world.

The performance was made up of three parts. In the firstpart, “Rwanda”, Dr. Kuwayama told the story of a group ofhigh school girls who had lost hope in the midst of the conflictin Rwanda. Through music with Dr. Kuwayama, they deepened their friendship, opened up, and started to think about the

future. The images depicted the tragedy of damage from war
and the preciousness of peace.

This was followed by images of aid activities at a refugee

camp on the Thai-Cambodian border. Dr. Kuwayama

described his friendship with a young man who came as an

Food stalls

Indochinese refugee from that camp to Japan, and the impor-tance of living together in harmony with non-Japanese people

Activity Explanations

living in Japan.

Civic organizations, universities and other organizations set up

In the last part, “Great East Japan Earthquake”, Dr.

booths to explain their respective international exchange andKuwayama talked about his own experience providing care tocooperation activities. Next to the venue was a section for con-patients who came to his clinic immediately after the Great

sultations on how to set up an NPO and explanations of NGO

East Japan Earthquake. His clinic is located in Natori City,

activities.

Miyagi Prefecture, which was one of the main affected areas,

but the clinic escaped damage from the tsunami. He also

Japanese Traditional Culture Sessions

described the site of those affected by the earthquake, doing

Experiential sessions were held on kimono, tea ceremony, ike-

their best to get on with their lives. Participants were deeply

bana and Yuzen-style dyeing. It was an opportunity for non-impressed by Dr. Kuwayama’s commitment in these activities.

Japanese visitors to experience Japanese culture, and forJapanese visitors to reacquaint themselves with traditional cul-

“We must do something from Hiroshima!”

ture.

– Great East Japan Earthquake and International Cooperation –JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) and other

Family Events

organizations conducted this project to promote the impor-

There were events for families including a quiz rally wheretance of international cooperation activities throughout Japan.

participants could win a present by going around the various

Joining Dr. Kuwayama in “Chikyu no Stage” from Hiroshimaeven venues and answering questions, as well as games fromwere PR project member and singer Ms. Chiharu Tamaki,around the world and more.

NPO representative Ms. Tomoko Watanabe, former JOCV
member Mr. Mitsugi Hosokawa, and international cooperation

There were also various other events held, including an English

reporter Ms. Haruka Ishihara. The five of them spoke about

debating session, a discussion between young Japanese andtheir respective international cooperation activities and sup-non-Japanese participants, and events to support children over-port activities in the areas affected by the Great East Japan

seas by donating keyboard-harmonicas and coins from around

Earthquake. Together they considered international exchange

the world.

activities and disaster area support that can be offered by
Hiroshima.

7(International Relations and Cooperation Division)Sister and Friendship City Days 2011 ―Citizens enjoyed foreign cultures
Hiroshima City has Sister City and Friendship City ties withsix cities overseas, and holds a commemorative Sister andFriendship City Day event for each city. The aim of the eventsis to increase Hiroshima citizens’ familiarity with and understanding of each of the cities. This Foundation is consignedwith the implementation of the events by Hiroshima City.
Each event is led by the Hiroshima Messengers.

making by a German master, and Luettje Lagen (different
liquor is served in two glasses, which are then drunk in onegulp).
At the German music concert held in the hall, three professional musicians gave a wonderful performance of violin, fluteand viola, and the session ended with the audience singing“Rose on the Heath” in German and Japanese.

Daegu Day
A commemorative event was held from May 3 to 5 last year atthe Hiroshima Flower Festival venue.
At the commemorative ceremony on the 4th, speeches were
given by Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui, Daegu
Metropolitan City Mayor Kim Bum-il, and Mr. Shin HyungKeun, the Consul-General of the Republic of Korea
Consulate-General in Hiroshima. This was followed by a traditional Korean dance performance of “Seungjeonmu” andBuchaechum by the Daegu Municipal Korean traditional performing arts group. Many in the audience were enthralled by
the impactful musical performance and wonderful dance.
For the three-day event a Daegu Korea area named“Madang” was set up, to provide an introduction to Korean
culture, centering on Daegu Metropolitan City. There was lotsof friendly exchange between the Korean international students and visitors at the always-popular commemorative photosection where visitors could have their photo taken in
Chimageogori (folk costume), as well as the Korean
Proficiency Test section. The section selling home-style
Korean cooking, which is also a favorite every year, was bustling with families. A Korean Traditional Kusaki-zome (plantdye) Workshop was also set up over the two days of the 3rd
and the 4th, and while the number of participants was limited to
one hundred people, they enjoyed the colors of the dyed fabrics.

Panel exhibition

The event also included a display introducing Hanover andGermany, a panel exhibition describing the history of
exchange between Hiroshima City and Hanover City, paper
crafting of Hanover trains, and an introduction and reading ofGerman picture books. All events were very popular.
Despite the poor weather 310 people attended the event,and through the varied program deepened their understandingof Hanover and Germany while enjoying themselves at thesame time.
Montreal Day
The Montreal Day event was held at Hiroshima City International
House on July 24 last year.
Visitors to the event started with tasting of some delicious
Montreal gourmet cuisine including smoked meat and cranberry juice.
After the commemorative ceremony, an assistant English
teacher from Montreal City provided an introduction toMontreal City.
At the memorial concert, the Canadian-born singer Kelly
Pettit spoke in a friendly manner to the audience in fluent
Japanese, also responding to requests, which the audienceenjoyed.

A boy beating the large drumAt the main building of the Museum there was also a performance of the large drum given to Hiroshima City by Daegu
Metropolitan City to commemorate the sister city relationship,
and a joint performance of the large drum together with
Janggu (one of the most famous drum groups in the Korean
Peninsula), as well as the chance for visitors to try beating thelarge drum themselves. These were all very popular with theparticipants.
Around 9,760 citizens visited the venues over the event
period, a record high. It was a great success.
Hanover Day
The Hanover Day event was held at Hiroshima City International
House on May 29 last year.
The event included an experience of Ueda Soko-style
Japanese tea ceremony, which has strong ties with Hanover, ademonstration and tasting of authentic German sausage making, tasting of Baum Kuchen cake, a demonstration of cake-

Canadian-born singer Kelly Pettit in the memorial concert

The event ended with a fun prize draw where participants
could win maple syrup, a Quebec Province photo book,smoked meat and other specialties.
There was also a message of support from the citizens
8

At the memorial concert was a demonstration of tai chi
and tai chi sword by the members of the Hiroshima Branch ofJapan-China Friendship Association, and the audience wereable to try tai chi for themselves. A concert was given by Mr.
Zhao Rongchun, a world-famous Chinese two-string fiddle(erhu) performer who lives in Hiroshima. The concert ended
with everyone singing Akatombo (Red Dragonflies) inJapanese and Chinese, accompanied by Mr. Zhao.

of Montreal City for recovery from the Great East Japan
Earthquake, a display of Canadian specialty goods, and an
introduction of Kooza, a work of Cirque du Soleil. Participantsalso received a copy of the special Montreal Day issue of theinformation magazine Coco Montreal.
The approximately three hundred visitors enjoyed themselves at the event as they deepened their understanding ofMontreal and Canada.
Volgograd Day
The Volgograd Day event was held at Hiroshima City
International House on September 11 last year.
Visitors first enjoyed tasting of famous Russian cuisine
including borsch, piroshky, and Russian chocolate, as well as
tasting of Georgian wine, Russian tea (black tea with jam) andBirch sap. Although the food and drinks were rare, many people commented on how tasty they were.
In the hall, following on from the commemorative ceremony, there were presentations by elementary school students
who had participated in home stays in Russia. Using photos
and images, the presentations were easy to follow, and very
popular. After this was a Russian language class by a Russian
resident of Hiroshima, and a Russian-style janken (rock-scissors-paper) competition. All visitors participated and the event
was very lively.
At the Russian music concert that followed, three groupsof performers performed various Russian musical pieces. First
was a piano performance and chorus, followed by an ensembleof various different instruments, and then a marimba performance. The venue was full of cheers and applause for the various different types of Russian music. The concert closed withan enjoyable rendition of the Russian folk song “Troika” (triplet) by all.

Zhao Rongchun playing two-string fiddle (erfu)

The three hundred visitors enjoyed themselves while gaining a greater understanding of Chongqing City and China.
Honolulu Day
On November 3 last year, the Honolulu Hula Party was held at
the underground event space at the South Exit of Hiroshima
Station, as a commemorative event for Honolulu Day.
The event began with a performance of the kahiko, a classic hula dance, and the opening ceremony welcoming theConsul-General of America in Osaka/Kobe. This was followedby an explanation using enlarged images of Honolulu’s foodculture, history, tourist spots and more by four people:
Hiroshima Messengers, Mr. Daryl Sato from Honolulu, and
Ms. Kelly Jackson from America.
The main event was a full-scale stage performance by
three Hawaiian bands and a team of hula dancers. The huladances by the cute children and gorgeous and graceful women
put the venue fully in tropical Hawaiian mood, and participants enjoyed the convivial atmosphere.

Visitors enjoying a drawing gameThe event also included a display section introducing
Russia and Volgograd, an exhibition of Russian folk crafts,
picture books and posters, as well as a display of landscapes
painted by children from Volgograd and photos of exchange
sessions.
On the day before the event was a Russian cooking classwith a Russian teacher. The thirty participants tried making
borsch, which they enjoyed eating at the end of the class.
Including the cooking class a total of around 320 people
attended the Volgograd Day events, and developed a greater
understanding and interest in Volgograd and Russia.

Hula dance lesson

There were also participation events including a quiz
where participants could win Hawaiian goods, and hula dance
lessons on the stage together with the performers. The event
ended with all joining in chorus to sing “Hawaii Aloha”.
There was a display and sales of Hawaiian goods at thevenue and visitors could try making their own ribbon leis.
Through the event, approximately 530 citizens gained a greater understanding of America and Honolulu City.

Chongqing Day
Chongqing Day was held on October 23 last year at Hiroshima
City International House.
Visitors first enjoyed tastings of Mala Tang (using the hotpot soup that is a specialty of Chongqing), fried dumplings,
and Mahua.
After this, the Coordinator for International Relations from
Chongqing gave an easy-to-understand presentation using
PowerPoint images on the city of Chongqing as well as kanji
characters used in China and Japan that seem similar but are
actually different.

(International Relations and Cooperation Division)
9

Hiroshima City International House Festival 2011 ―Valuing Every Individual Friendship!
On November 6, 2011, the Hiroshima City International
House Festival 2011 was held at Hiroshima City International
House. The aim of this event is to promote further interaction
between international students, and other foreigners living in
Hiroshima, and Hiroshima citizens, and at the same time provide the students with an opportunity for social participation.
This is one of International House’s biggest events.
Following on from last year, the festival this year wasagain held at the same time as the Kojin Ebisu festival and theThanksgiving festival of the sheltered workshop, Hiroshima
Minami Jyusanjyo. The event, with its strong international flavor, attracted around 2,700 visitors, more than the previous
year. With its lively atmosphere, the event was a very enjoyable day for all participants.

to paper containers as an environmental measure, and also
made efforts to reduce the amount of waste.
The ANA International Students’ Japanese Speech Contest
was held in the hall on the second floor (sponsored by All
Nippon Airways Co., Ltd.). Speeches were given by ten international students living in Hiroshima Prefecture who had
passed the qualifying round, on the topic of “Japanese People I
Have Met”. Citizens at the venue commented “I was surprisedat the way the international students view Japanese people”
and “The sight of them enthusiastically giving their speeches
moved me”.
In the first half of the afternoon, an event called “I ♥ myhomeland – Chatting with International Students” was held inthe second floor training room, where international students
introduced their home countries. This was a chance for citizens to hear about countries that they were interested in frominternational students and Hiroshima City Coordinators forInternational Relations, and each of the sections for the seventeen countries and one region were bustling with people.
In the latter part of the afternoon mini-events were held byseven groups of international students from seven countries. A
Chinese international student performed a traditional Japanese
dance together with a member of a citizens’ organization, andthere was also an instrumental performance from Turkey. Aninternational student from Elizabeth University of Music
Graduate School gave an instrumental performance. This year
there was also a K-POP dance performance by students from
Yasuda Women’s University, which is regularly involved in
exchange activities with the international students.

“Friendship potatoes” charity bazaar

After the Great East Japan Earthquake that hit on March
11, 2011, the international students received various kinds ofsupport from friends all over the world, and this strongly reaffirmed to them the importance of every individual friendship.
In response, they set Friendship as the theme of this 11th festival, with a view to further enhancing exchange activities withcity residents.
To ensure that the international students’ opinions werereflected in the festival, planning meetings were held with thestudents’ association “Ryuwakai”, made up of resident students, to discuss events, participation methods, PR activities,
preparation work, etc, to prepare for the festival. As a result,
there was a more balanced allocation of time for each of thedifferent events than last year, and a fuller festival program.
This year ten Japanese students from Hiroshima University’s
International Division also participated as volunteers.

In addition there was also a Great East Japan Earthquake
Charity Bazaar in the Exchange Lounge on the first floor,
where the international students sold “friendship potatoes”(sweet potatoes) that they had made. The ¥30,652 collected asproceeds was sent to areas affected by the earthquake in
Tohoku via Japan Red Cross. There was also an art and photo
exhibition by the international students in the first floor
Exchange Lounge.

At 10am, the opening ceremony was held in the second
floor hall. After a speech by Mr. Seizo Sakoda, Director ofInternational House, there was a performance by Buccina, acitizens’ fanfare group, for a rousing start to the 2011
Hiroshima City International House Festival.
In the area outside International House was the annual“National Specialty Cuisine World Food Stalls Event”. Fifteen
organizations from eleven countries set up stalls, and served
up a variety of cuisines from their home countries. Following
on from last year, in addition to the south bicycle parking area,
food tents were also set up on the north side facing Ozu Dori
Road, providing a lively atmosphere for citizens and others on
the street.
This year the Exchange Lounge on the second floor
was converted to a food court, where a “LUNCH TIMEPERFORMANCE” was held thanks to support from citizens’organizations. Visitors enjoyed the music as they ate.
This year once again we switched from plastic containers

International students participated in this festival

This year there were sections set up for portraits, glue
resist dyeing and body painting, thanks to support from thosefrom Hiroshima City University and Rainforest Foundation
Japan (RFJ) HIROSHIMA.
At the closing ceremony the ranking of the food stalls wasannounced, and the festival ended with all promising to meetagain next year.
(Hiroshima City International House)10

“Message from CIR”

My Job as a CIR on the JET Programme
The kindergarten staff provided me with a Santa outfit complete with beard and all. The kids were all very excited to see
Santa and they couldn’t believe that I came all the way fromthe North Pole just to see them! Some of the younger children
even cried when I left.
Last year I had the opportunity to be involved with several
events held by the city including the PEACE and LOVE day
and the Day of International Exchange and Cooperation.
The PEACE and LOVE day event is a day when foreign
residents of all different nationalities bring their traditional
culture and cuisine to a one day event held every October in
Chuo Koen (Park). There is also a large stage where manygroups perform traditional dances and music from all over theworld. I was asked to do interpreting from Japanese to English
on the main stage. This was my first major event and the firsttime I ever did interpreting on stage. So naturally I was incredibly nervous. However everyone was so friendly and helpful
and my nerves soon calmed down. I made a few embarrassing
mistakes but all in all I felt like I did a good job. I was just sopleased with myself for getting up there and doing it.
The Day of International Exchange and Cooperation isheld every November and is one of the major annual international events held in the city. Groups engaged in international
exchange come together to create workshops and displayswith a learning theme. This helps to raise interest in international exchange activities amongst citizens, while also
strengthening ties among groups that are invested in international exchange and cooperation. Last year more than seventhousand people attended the event. For this event I helpedwith translating the information pamphlet for the event into
English as well as acting as a go-between, providing information to foreign residence taking part. I took part in the event
myself by setting up my own “New Zealand” corner with photos and information about New Zealand culture and history. I
had a lot of fun with this event and now that I understand more
about the proceedings I am looking forward to getting evenmore involved with the event this year. I have plans to set up a
Facebook page with my colleagues to help promote the eventto a broader range of people.

by Christopher Cameron(Chris)Coordinator for International Relations(CIR)
Age: 22 years
Home country: New ZealandHobbies: Basketball, Touch rugby, Hiking.

I would like to share with you some of the work that I do at
the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation (HPCF) and myexperiences of living in Japan over the last 9 months.
I first heard about the JET Programme 5 years ago when I
was in my final year of high school. At that time I was only
aware about the ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) position of
JET. It was not until my second year of my Japanese language
studies at university that I found out about the Coordinator forInternational Relations position, (CIR for short) from myteachers. Immediately it drew my attention. Having longaspired to travel to Japan to improve my Japanese and deepen
my knowledge of the culture I decided that the CIR position
was something that I would consider applying for. I applied
for the JET program in 2010 and was assigned to a CIR position at the HPCF in August 2011.
Many people have never heard about CIR before and those
who have often believe that it involves sitting in an office everhour of the day doing nothing but translation. This may be true
with some CIR positions in Japan, however quite often this is
not the case.
My job at the HPCF focuses on the development of grassroots cultural understanding and exchange. I work in theInternational Relations and Cooperation Division of the HPCF
so my office is directly involved with the planning of international events held in the City, as well as organizing interpretersand providing assistance and information to foreign residents
in the city. In a typical work day my job responsibilities
include school visits, involvement in the planning of international events for the city and editing and translation for the
Hiro Club English language newsletter. I also do a monthly
Soudanbi, or consultation day where citizens can come to ask
questions and get advice on foreign cultures, or ask questions
about English.
A large part of my job involves doing visits to schools,
kindergartens and community centers, with primary schools
making up the bulk of my visits. During busy parts of the year
I may have 2 or 3 schools visits a week. At these visits I give a
presentation about my home country with a focus on the key
cultural and geographical differences between Japan and New
Zealand. This is often followed by some games and lunch withthe class. During the presentation I do my best to keep theaudience interested by showing many photos and teachingthem about fun and interesting things rather than about facts
and figures. This is to expose young children to foreign countries and cultures in order to promote cultural understanding at
a grass roots level and also to help them become interested in
the world in a wider sense. I believe that this is especially
important in today’s
world as advancement in technology
brings us closer andcloser.
One of the highlights for me lastyear was being
invited to participate in a Christmas
party for a kindergarten. I was asked
to come as “special
guest” Santa Claus.
Santa Claus Visit

My opinions, future aspirations and advice for aspiring CIRs
I am very happy with my position at the Hiroshima Peace
Culture Foundation. My job responsibilities are varied so thereis never a dull moment. I feel that I am actively engaging ininternational relations and making an influence in the community because I get to go out of the office and into the schools
and community centers. Because of the visits that I do as partof my job my skills in delivering presentations in front of large
groups of people has greatly improved and I feel much more
confident about doing presentations now. I have also gained
very valuable insight into how large events are organized andthe process that goes into planning for them. Furthermore I
have gained important experience in translation and interpreting.
When I finish my contract with JET I hope to go back to
New Zealand and work in the tourism industry. So, all of theseskills will be invaluable to my intended future career path.
If I was to offer any advice to aspiring CIR’s, I would say
be prepared for anything. Every CIR position is different.
Some CIR’s spend all of their time in the office doing translation, while others will plan events or in some cases mostly
teach English. The key thing to remember is that all CIR positions require a certain degree of proficiency in Japanese.
Usually the requirement is either Level one or two of theJapanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), or a level of proficiency that is roughly equivalent , such as a degree inJapanese. However this is not compulsory. I myself do notpossess any level of the JLPT. I think a major factor in being
accepted into the JET Programme is personality. If you havethe right attitude then you shouldn’t have any problems.
11(Contributed in May 2012)

“Thinking about Peace”

Experience Counts
needs to think deeply about shifting from material affluence tospiritual affluence. The international community should look
for a path that is not reliant on nuclear power.
It is pleasing to see that the forum for discussions on measures to resolve nuclear issues is starting to move from dialogue between America and Russia alone to discussions
among the various bodies of the United Nations.

by Sunao Tsuboi

Chairperson of the Board, Hiroshima
Prefecture Confederation of Atomic
Bomb Sufferers Organizations

My determination
We atomic bomb survivors are getting older and growing
weaker from illness. However, we have gone beyond feelingsof bitterness or hatred or revenge. We are resolutely walking
the path of appealing for the abolition of nuclear weapons, theurgent and crucial issue that must be resolved for the happiness of humankind and peace in the world.
Humans are not stupid. If all tribes and races, beyond
national borders, can collect as “humans”, forge an harmonious
political and economic framework, find hope in education andreligion, and build a dignified culture, true peace will be guaranteed.
It is not possible to avoid war with emotional dialogue.
The promise of peace will come through dialogue that is conducted with reason and wisdom.
I intend to continue these efforts with my colleagues until
the day comes when I can see for myself that the last nuclear
weapon has been abolished.
Whatever happens, at whatever time, we will never give up.
Never give up!

Atomic Bombing Experience
On August 6, around 67 years ago, I experienced the atomic
bombing as a 20-year-old student on the street near the city
hall, approximately one kilometer from the epicenter.
Feeling a piercing silver-white flash of light, I was thrown
about ten meters and passed out. After a while I regained consciousness. My clothes were half burned, and I had burns allover my face and my entire body. My earlobes were hanging
off in shreds and my lips had swelled up. Trying to put out thefire on my clothes, and semi-naked, I continued to wanderaround the streets of the city that had been transformed into asea of fire, with no idea where to flee.
The atomic bomb brought me to the brink of death, and I
have absolutely no recollection of the war ending. It was not
until summer in the following year that I was able to get up
from my bed and somehow manage to walk weakly. After that
I was hospitalized twelve times and fell into a critical condition three times, but I managed to escape death.
I currently suffer from chronic aplastic anemia, have experienced cancer twice, and am also threatened with angina. As aresult I need to receive an intravenous drip once every two
weeks. And the emotional anxiety and pain is not limited justto me. I cannot help but worry about the effects on my children and grandchildren. I feel the deepest indignation at thedestruction that the atomic bomb inflicted on peoples’ bodies,emotions and livelihoods.
Nuclear weapon abolition activities
As one of the survivors of the atomic bombing, I continue
with efforts to achieve our earnest wish to abolish nuclear
weapons, using as a base my atomic bombing experience.
Despite my old age, I force myself to go to elementary,junior and senior high schools to give talks on my atomic
bombing experience, to spread information on the reality ofthe damage from the bomb. I also continue to call for peace byparticipating in peace rallies held all over Japan.
In terms of overseas peace activities, I have visited various
countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South East andNorth East Asia (including North Korea), and America. I havebeen to America eight times.
At the NPT Review Conference in May 2010, I travelled
to America as part of a group of fifty atomic bomb survivors.
We participated in Atomic Bombing Exhibitions and survivors’ testimonial activities held by the United Nations, andappealed for the abolition of nuclear weapons and the creationof a world free of war.
In March 2011 I went to Beijing to participate in peaceexchange activities conducted with the Chinese People’s
Association for Peace and Disarmament. This was my twentyfirst overseas exchange session, and I am proud to say that it
was meaningful.
I learned of the Great East Japan Earthquake when I wasin Beijing. I felt surprise, nervousness, and emotional pain atnatural and man-made disasters. I felt particular anxiety about
the accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. To
use nuclear power for peaceful purposes, naturally theInternational Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) needs to bestrengthened. But in addition, I strongly feel that the world

Discussion with Hiroshima Mayor Matsui (front right) on the
Fukushima nuclear issue (June 30, 2011)

ProfileSunao Tsuboi
Born 1925. Experienced the atomic bombing as a twenty-yearold student of the former Hiroshima Prefecture Engineering
Technical College (currently the Engineering Faculty ofHiroshima University). Formerly a teacher, after retiring as
principal of Hiroshima Municipal Jonan Junior High School in
1986, he joined the atomic bomb survivors’ movement,
appealing for the abolition of nuclear weapons and world
peace by giving atomic bombing testimonies in Japan andoverseas.
Representative member of the Japan Confederation of Aand H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, Chairperson of theBoard of Hiroshima Prefecture Confederation of Atomic
Bomb Sufferers Organizations, and a Councilor of theHiroshima Peace Culture Foundation. Awarded the Kiyoshi
Tanimoto Peace Prize in 2011.

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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
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730-0811, JAPAN
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