Reiterating the nuclear threat amidst growing global tensions: Activities in Hiroshima and Nagasaki

It has been 77 years since the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6 and Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. Amid a growing sense of crisis over the nuclear threat posed by the Russian military invasion, the atomic-bombed cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki emphasized anew their call for a world free of nuclear weapons.

In continuing to appeal for the abolition of nuclear weapons, Peace Boat worked with various organisations in Japan and abroad this year to organize various events including discussions with parliamentarians, livestreams from the Peace Ceremonies in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a concert with Akiko’s Piano that survived the atomic bombing, and a study tour for youth from Fukushima.

Parliamentarians' debate on "Japan's role towards a world without nuclear weapons"

On August 5, a debate for parliamentarians was held in Hiroshima, organized by the Japan NGO Network for Nuclear Weapons Abolition––of which Peace Boat is a member. The event aimed to remind people of the inhumanity of nuclear weapons, identify today's challenges towards a nuclear-weapon-free world and discuss the role Japan should play. It was joined by eight parliamentarians representing different political parties, and addressed the following three issues.

1. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) - outcomes of the First Meeting of the States Parties (MSP) and challenges for the Second MSP (to be held in November 2023).
2. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference - Japan's role in the conference underway from August 1-26.
3. G7 Hiroshima Summit (May 2023) - linking to discussions regarding nuclear and security policy at the G7 Summit in 2023.

The lively discussion highlighted the importance of platforms such as this event, where parliamentarians can consider nuclear issues from different angles and exchange their opinions in a frank manner.

Read a full report and view the debate (in Japanese) here.

A-Bomb Day Live Streaming from Hiroshima and Nagasaki

On August 6 and August 9, Peace Boat partnered with the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) to offer two live streams from Hiroshima and Nagasaki for the moments of silence on the 77th anniversaries.

As the memorial ceremony at the Hiroshima Peace Park was underway, volunteers from local organisation and ICAN partner ANT-Hiroshima visited different locations in the city to let the audience experience being in Hiroshima on the anniversary. The live stream began across from the Atomic Bomb Dome, with one of the hosts re-telling stories of the horrific damage to the town and people by the atomic bomb. During the broadcast, Koko Kondo and Setsuko Thurlow, both survivors of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, joined to speak about their experiences and their strong wish for peace and nuclear abolition. The streaming also introduced the monument memorializing Korean victims, as well as the “Hibaku Jumoku” trees –– trees that survived the atomic bombing ––, and the Children's Peace Monument

Likewise in Nagasaki, Peace Boat staff and local volunteers offered a live streaming of the city around 11.02 am, the time the bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. It started with the scene from the Urakami Cathedral, showing rubble remaining from that time. The camera then switched to the Yamazato Primary School, where a student assembly was taking place. To learn about history and prevent the same mistakes being repeated, schools in Nagasaki hold peace classes on this day every year. Through the live stream, the audience was able to immerse themselves in scenes near the Peace Park, where the area was covered by art created by children, known as the Kids’ Guernica Project. Viewers from around joined the moment of silence, with the camera showing people in Nagasaki praying for peace, and remembering all those who perished in the bombing.

View the recordings here:

An Online Concert with Akiko’s Piano and the Fukushima Youth Ambassadors Program

In August, Peace Boat also organized a Peace Concert with “Akiko’s Piano” and a peace study tour as part of the Fukushima Youth Ambassadors program. In the former, Peace Boat partnered with Pal System Chiba and HOPE project to organize an online peace concert, providing an opportunity to reflect on peace through this instrument that survived the tragic bombing of Hiroshima. In the latter, two junior high school students from Minamisoma City, approximately 20 kilometres from the disaster stricken Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, traveled to Hiroshima to learn about the legacies of the war and the atomic bombing. During the tour, participating students attended the Hiroshima Peace Ceremony. They also had the chance to hear direct testimony from Ito Masao, a Hiroshima Hibakusha, and to visit Okunoshima Island, where the Japanese Army produced poison gas during WWII.

Conclusion

Amid the growing global trend towards military build-up and fear of a potential nuclear war, these activities were of great significance in reminding people of the horror of nuclear weapons and demonstrating the need for a peaceful world. As the NPT Review Conference continues to take place in New York, Peace Boat shall continue its activities towards nuclear disarmament and abolition, as well as efforts to encourage more countries to sign and ratify the TPNW.

(Reported by Peace Boat Intern Elena BASHUTSKAYA)