Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima and Pearl Harbor National Memorial in U.S. sign sister agreement; Ambassador places emphasis on “Places of reconciliation”
Jun. 30, 2023
by Koji Higuchi, Staff Writer
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in the city’s Naka Ward and Pearl Harbor National Memorial of Hawaii in the United States signed a sister park agreement on June 29. U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, who attended the signing ceremony at the U.S. Embassy in Akasaka, Tokyo, stressed, “These parks, which were once sites of conflict, are now places of reconciliation.”
The U.S. side approached Hiroshima about the sister city agreement on the occasion of the summit meeting of the G7 (Group of Seven Industrialized nations) held in Hiroshima. The two countries will cooperate to hold exhibitions that utilize materials from both parks and to share information on peace education. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui said at the ceremony, “The agreement will become a symbol that humanity is an entity that can rationally reconcile and seek peace in a future-oriented manner, though we made the mistake of war.”
When the Hiroshima Honolulu Kenjin Kai approached the city of Hiroshima about a sister park agreement in 2017, following former U.S. President Barak Obama’s visit to Peace Memorial Park and former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, the city declined. In proceeding with the agreement, Mr. Matsui asked for understanding, saying, “We spent enough time considering it. I was convinced that we could build a future-oriented relationship with the U.S.”
Mr. Obama also sent a message to the ceremony, saying, “By connecting our two peoples to our shared past, we can build a shared future grounded in peace and cooperation.”
In the A-bombed city of Hiroshima, there are voices that question the agreement. At a press conference, Mr. Emanuel said there was no 100 percent agreement on anything, and that he understood the mixed feelings but what was important was reconciliation between Japan and the U.S.
(Originally published on June 30, 2023)
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in the city’s Naka Ward and Pearl Harbor National Memorial of Hawaii in the United States signed a sister park agreement on June 29. U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel, who attended the signing ceremony at the U.S. Embassy in Akasaka, Tokyo, stressed, “These parks, which were once sites of conflict, are now places of reconciliation.”
The U.S. side approached Hiroshima about the sister city agreement on the occasion of the summit meeting of the G7 (Group of Seven Industrialized nations) held in Hiroshima. The two countries will cooperate to hold exhibitions that utilize materials from both parks and to share information on peace education. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui said at the ceremony, “The agreement will become a symbol that humanity is an entity that can rationally reconcile and seek peace in a future-oriented manner, though we made the mistake of war.”
When the Hiroshima Honolulu Kenjin Kai approached the city of Hiroshima about a sister park agreement in 2017, following former U.S. President Barak Obama’s visit to Peace Memorial Park and former Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, the city declined. In proceeding with the agreement, Mr. Matsui asked for understanding, saying, “We spent enough time considering it. I was convinced that we could build a future-oriented relationship with the U.S.”
Mr. Obama also sent a message to the ceremony, saying, “By connecting our two peoples to our shared past, we can build a shared future grounded in peace and cooperation.”
In the A-bombed city of Hiroshima, there are voices that question the agreement. At a press conference, Mr. Emanuel said there was no 100 percent agreement on anything, and that he understood the mixed feelings but what was important was reconciliation between Japan and the U.S.
(Originally published on June 30, 2023)
