Hiroshima Summit May 19 through 21: Mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki urge G7 Summit leaders to engage in dialogue with A-bomb survivors
Feb. 15, 2023
by Masaharu Nakagawa, Staff Writer
On February 14, in preparation for the summit meeting of G7 (The Group of Seven industrialized nations) to be held in Hiroshima in May, Hiroshima Mayor Matsui Kazumi and Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue visited the embassies of the G7 nations headquartered in Tokyo together to urge that the leaders of each country visit the Peace Memorial Museum located in Naka Ward, Hiroshima, and engage in dialogue with A-bomb survivors.
While the Japanese government is coordinating efforts to incorporate the leaders’ visit to the Peace Memorial Museum into the summit schedule, the mayors of both cities have stepped up their efforts.
Both mayors met with G7 nation ambassadors to Japan one after another, and petitioned for their leaders’ visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Nagasaki City as well. U.S. President Joe Biden is known as a devout Christian. Rahm Emanuel, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, reportedly said, “I will convey to the president that Nagasaki has the characteristics of a Catholic history, keeping the Urakami Cathedral (Urakami Church) in mind. Mr. Taue said to reporters, “I had the sense that the president’s visit to Nagasaki was already on the table and under discussion.”
Both mayors also visited the Prime Minister’s official residence. In response to their request, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida once again emphasized the significance of the summit meeting, saying, “The current trend toward the abolition of nuclear weapons is now moving in the opposite direction. I would like to use the Hiroshima Summit as an opportunity to reverse this trend.” With regard to the leaders’ visit to Nagasaki, he only stated, “I understand the desire of the people of Nagasaki. But the government is still at the stage of finalizing the schedule for the summit itself.”
Mr. Matsui expressed his hope to reporters, saying, “I believe the ambassadors of the G7 nations to Japan will firmly convey to each of their governments that it is important to pursue the ideal of creating a world free of nuclear weapons.”
(Originally published on February 15, 2023)
On February 14, in preparation for the summit meeting of G7 (The Group of Seven industrialized nations) to be held in Hiroshima in May, Hiroshima Mayor Matsui Kazumi and Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue visited the embassies of the G7 nations headquartered in Tokyo together to urge that the leaders of each country visit the Peace Memorial Museum located in Naka Ward, Hiroshima, and engage in dialogue with A-bomb survivors.
While the Japanese government is coordinating efforts to incorporate the leaders’ visit to the Peace Memorial Museum into the summit schedule, the mayors of both cities have stepped up their efforts.
Both mayors met with G7 nation ambassadors to Japan one after another, and petitioned for their leaders’ visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Nagasaki City as well. U.S. President Joe Biden is known as a devout Christian. Rahm Emanuel, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, reportedly said, “I will convey to the president that Nagasaki has the characteristics of a Catholic history, keeping the Urakami Cathedral (Urakami Church) in mind. Mr. Taue said to reporters, “I had the sense that the president’s visit to Nagasaki was already on the table and under discussion.”
Both mayors also visited the Prime Minister’s official residence. In response to their request, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida once again emphasized the significance of the summit meeting, saying, “The current trend toward the abolition of nuclear weapons is now moving in the opposite direction. I would like to use the Hiroshima Summit as an opportunity to reverse this trend.” With regard to the leaders’ visit to Nagasaki, he only stated, “I understand the desire of the people of Nagasaki. But the government is still at the stage of finalizing the schedule for the summit itself.”
Mr. Matsui expressed his hope to reporters, saying, “I believe the ambassadors of the G7 nations to Japan will firmly convey to each of their governments that it is important to pursue the ideal of creating a world free of nuclear weapons.”
(Originally published on February 15, 2023)
