Accompanied by PM Kishida, U.S. Ambassador to Japan lays flowers in Hiroshima, touches on possibility of visit to A-bombed city by President Biden
Mar. 27, 2022
by Koji Higuchi and Kana Kobayashi, Staff Writers
On March 26, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel paid a visit to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, in the city’s Naka Ward, with Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (representing Hiroshima Prefecture’s District No. 1). There, the ambassador offered flowers at the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims, a monument located in the park. Mr. Emanuel is considered to have taken over the mantle of aiming at realization of a world without nuclear weapons from former U.S. President Barack Obama and to also enjoy a close relationship with current U.S. President Joseph Biden. In a meeting with Mr. Kishida and others, Mr. Emanuel denounced Russia for its continued military incursion into Ukraine, emphasizing his hope that peace and justice can be brought about in the world. He also touched on the possibility that Mr. Biden might express his intent to visit the A-bombed cities sometime in the future.
Mr. Emanuel had hoped to visit Hiroshima as soon as possible. Before he offered flowers at the cenotaph monument, he toured the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum with Mr. Kishida, Hiroshima Prefectural Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki, and Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui, taking in the museum’s exhibits designed to convey the devastation caused by the atomic bombing. He peered intently at a paper crane that Mr. Obama had folded and donated to the museum during his visit to Hiroshima. Afterward, Mr. Emanuel took in the A-bomb Dome with Mr. Matsui.
During a meeting with Minoru Terada (representing Hiroshima Prefecture’s District No. 5), a special advisor responsible for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation issues under Prime Minister Kishida’s Cabinet, Mr. Emanuel stated that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine represented an illegal act and condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s threat that hinted at the possible use of nuclear weapons. Among other statements, he remarked, “There is no more important place than Hiroshima in terms of contributing to peace.”
Mr. Emanuel once served as White House chief of staff under U.S. President Obama, who was the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, and has earned deep trust from the current U.S. President Biden, who served as vice president in the Obama administration. Regarding Mr. Biden’s possible visit to the A-bombed cities on his trip to Japan, rumored to take place this spring, Mr. Emanuel provided a sense of expectation by indicating his idea that Mr. Biden would express his desire to visit either Hiroshima or Nagasaki. “I hope President Biden visits Hiroshima,” said Mr. Matsui, revealing his own hope.
Meanwhile, during his talk with the ambassador, Mr. Kishida emphasized that “Russia’s potential use of nuclear weapons is now a concern. Nuclear weapons should never be used.” The two exchanged opinions on the idea of an international group of eminent persons conference, to be held sometime this year, toward the realization of a world free from nuclear weapons by inviting political leaders from throughout the world to Hiroshima. After the meeting, when the media inquired of the prime minister about Japan’s current status under the U.S. nuclear umbrella, Mr. Kishida responded, “We have to adopt a realistic option for the protection of the lives and livelihoods of the Japanese people. I don’t think that is in contradiction with the goal of aspiring to realize a world without nuclear weapons.”
(Originally published on March 27, 2022)
On March 26, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel paid a visit to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, in the city’s Naka Ward, with Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (representing Hiroshima Prefecture’s District No. 1). There, the ambassador offered flowers at the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims, a monument located in the park. Mr. Emanuel is considered to have taken over the mantle of aiming at realization of a world without nuclear weapons from former U.S. President Barack Obama and to also enjoy a close relationship with current U.S. President Joseph Biden. In a meeting with Mr. Kishida and others, Mr. Emanuel denounced Russia for its continued military incursion into Ukraine, emphasizing his hope that peace and justice can be brought about in the world. He also touched on the possibility that Mr. Biden might express his intent to visit the A-bombed cities sometime in the future.
Mr. Emanuel had hoped to visit Hiroshima as soon as possible. Before he offered flowers at the cenotaph monument, he toured the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum with Mr. Kishida, Hiroshima Prefectural Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki, and Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui, taking in the museum’s exhibits designed to convey the devastation caused by the atomic bombing. He peered intently at a paper crane that Mr. Obama had folded and donated to the museum during his visit to Hiroshima. Afterward, Mr. Emanuel took in the A-bomb Dome with Mr. Matsui.
During a meeting with Minoru Terada (representing Hiroshima Prefecture’s District No. 5), a special advisor responsible for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation issues under Prime Minister Kishida’s Cabinet, Mr. Emanuel stated that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine represented an illegal act and condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s threat that hinted at the possible use of nuclear weapons. Among other statements, he remarked, “There is no more important place than Hiroshima in terms of contributing to peace.”
Mr. Emanuel once served as White House chief of staff under U.S. President Obama, who was the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, and has earned deep trust from the current U.S. President Biden, who served as vice president in the Obama administration. Regarding Mr. Biden’s possible visit to the A-bombed cities on his trip to Japan, rumored to take place this spring, Mr. Emanuel provided a sense of expectation by indicating his idea that Mr. Biden would express his desire to visit either Hiroshima or Nagasaki. “I hope President Biden visits Hiroshima,” said Mr. Matsui, revealing his own hope.
Meanwhile, during his talk with the ambassador, Mr. Kishida emphasized that “Russia’s potential use of nuclear weapons is now a concern. Nuclear weapons should never be used.” The two exchanged opinions on the idea of an international group of eminent persons conference, to be held sometime this year, toward the realization of a world free from nuclear weapons by inviting political leaders from throughout the world to Hiroshima. After the meeting, when the media inquired of the prime minister about Japan’s current status under the U.S. nuclear umbrella, Mr. Kishida responded, “We have to adopt a realistic option for the protection of the lives and livelihoods of the Japanese people. I don’t think that is in contradiction with the goal of aspiring to realize a world without nuclear weapons.”
(Originally published on March 27, 2022)
