Final day of Peace Studies Association conference is held
Jun. 21, 2010
by Kohei Okata, Staff Writer
On June 20, at the final day of a conference on the theme of a world without nuclear weapons, organized by the Peace Studies Association of Japan, the participants discussed, from various perspectives, such topics as security in East Asia and passing on the A-bomb experience to future generations.
In the committee which discussed Japan's diplomacy and security policy, Seiji Endo, a professor at Seikei University and an expert on international politics, pointed out that distrust among nations has resulted in the military expansion in China and the nuclear weapons program in North Korea. Professor Endo went on to say: "The system of Missile Defense in Japan can be threatening to other nations. Rather than arguing that the system is not threatening, Japan, together with other nations, should promote nuclear disarmament."
Masaaki Gabe, a professor at Ryukyu University whose expertise is also international politics, warned against accepting "two and a half non-nuclear principles": not allowing the "deployment or storage" of U.S. nuclear weapons in Japan but admitting the "passage and port calls" of U.S. vessels carrying nuclear weapons. This concern stems from issues involving the secret nuclear pact between Japan and the United States. Professor Gabe contended that upholding Japan's three non-nuclear principles is more effective for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.
In one of seven subcommittees, participants exchanged views on the A-bomb experience. Masaharu Hamatani, a professor emeritus at Hitotsubashi University who has been engaged in conducting surveys on A-bomb survivors for more than 40 years, stressed that more attention should be paid on the trauma of A-bomb survivors. Yuka Nishioka, a resident of Nagasaki and author of A-bomb manga set in that city, said that she created the manga with the wish that the A-bomb experience be handed down to younger generations.
(Originally published on June 21, 2010)
On June 20, at the final day of a conference on the theme of a world without nuclear weapons, organized by the Peace Studies Association of Japan, the participants discussed, from various perspectives, such topics as security in East Asia and passing on the A-bomb experience to future generations.
In the committee which discussed Japan's diplomacy and security policy, Seiji Endo, a professor at Seikei University and an expert on international politics, pointed out that distrust among nations has resulted in the military expansion in China and the nuclear weapons program in North Korea. Professor Endo went on to say: "The system of Missile Defense in Japan can be threatening to other nations. Rather than arguing that the system is not threatening, Japan, together with other nations, should promote nuclear disarmament."
Masaaki Gabe, a professor at Ryukyu University whose expertise is also international politics, warned against accepting "two and a half non-nuclear principles": not allowing the "deployment or storage" of U.S. nuclear weapons in Japan but admitting the "passage and port calls" of U.S. vessels carrying nuclear weapons. This concern stems from issues involving the secret nuclear pact between Japan and the United States. Professor Gabe contended that upholding Japan's three non-nuclear principles is more effective for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.
In one of seven subcommittees, participants exchanged views on the A-bomb experience. Masaharu Hamatani, a professor emeritus at Hitotsubashi University who has been engaged in conducting surveys on A-bomb survivors for more than 40 years, stressed that more attention should be paid on the trauma of A-bomb survivors. Yuka Nishioka, a resident of Nagasaki and author of A-bomb manga set in that city, said that she created the manga with the wish that the A-bomb experience be handed down to younger generations.
(Originally published on June 21, 2010)
