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by Keiichi Nagayama, Kazuaki Yamamoto, and Yu Kawakami, Staff Writers

On May 31, in relation to the summit meeting of the G7 (attended by the Group of Seven industrialized nations) that will take place in Hiroshima in 2023, Hiroshima Prefectural Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki spoke of his plan for requesting the national government to establish a forum for dialogue between the leaders who will attend the summit and A-bomb survivors. Mr. Yuzaki stressed the meeting’s “incredible importance in having the leaders fully recognize the inhumane nature of nuclear weapons.” In July, the governments of Hiroshima Prefecture and City as well as the Hiroshima Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other groups will establish a Hiroshima summit promotion association to initiate full-scale preparations for hosting the meeting.

At the press conference that day, Mr. Yuzaki noted the significance of leaders from G7 nations—including the nuclear powers of the United States, United Kingdom, and France—to learn more about the reality of the devastation caused by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, even as some in Japan and overseas have voiced the need to expand the nuclear deterrence framework in reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Having dialogue with the A-bomb survivors would be meaningful. I will therefore strongly urge the national government to establish such a forum,” Mr. Yuzaki stated emphatically.

The Hiroshima Prefectural and City governments both have proposed inviting the G7 leaders to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, located in the city’s Naka Ward, in conjunction with the summit. The plan calls for having the visitors lay flowers in front of the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims and tour the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, located in Peace Park. The local government leaders will soon call for realization of the plan through negotiations with the national government.

Mr. Yuzaki also talked about the ripple effects on local economies throughout Hiroshima Prefecture projected to be brought about by the summit through efforts to convey information on Hiroshima’s local sights and the appeal of its cuisine. Koji Ikeda, chair of the Hiroshima Chamber of Commerce and Industry, expressed his expectation at the May 31 press meeting for an increase in numbers of visitors to Hiroshima. “The summit will help grow our tourism, restaurant, and bar industries in Hiroshima after their tough experience navigating the coronavirus pandemic.”

A shared public- and private-sector organization to support the holding of the summit, the summit promotion association’s offices are to be located in the Hiroshima Chamber of Commerce and Industry building, in the city’s Naka Ward. The Hiroshima City government has added 140 million yen into its fiscal 2022 supplemental general budget proposal, announced on the same day, as the city’s contribution for establishment of the association. The budget proposal will be submitted to the regular city council meeting scheduled to begin June 7. The prefectural government is also working on its own supplemental budget proposal with the aim of allocating the same level of funding for the association.

According to the city, the budgeted amount was estimated on the basis of expenses necessary at the time of the G7 Ise-Shima Summit held in Mie Prefecture in 2016. As activities to be carried out within fiscal 2022, the city administration plans to create streamers and banners announcing the summit, hold specific milestone events, and establish a website to communicate Hiroshima’s attractions.

(Originally published on June 1, 2022)