“Committee of Seven for World Peace” welcomes new member to strengthen its appeal for nuclear abolition
Nov. 27, 2010
by Kohei Okata, Staff Writer
“The Committee of Seven for World Peace,” comprised of cultural and intellectual figures calling for nuclear abolition, welcomed writer Takashi Tsujii as the successor of writer Hisashi Inoue, who died in April. The first meeting since the committee welcomed Mr. Tsujii was held in Tokyo on November 12. Mr. Tsujii, alongside the other members, made an appeal for nuclear abolition grounded in principles of humanity and pacifism, hallmarks of the group since its establishment.
The meeting entitled “Peace Without Arms” was attended by about 500 people. Mr. Tsujii was the first to take the podium. He leveled criticism against the Japanese government, saying, “Since the dawn of nuclear arms, the Japanese government has had the right, as the only nation to have suffered nuclear attack, to make the appeal that war must never be waged. But it seems that our leadership is not willing to exert that right.” He also pointed out the hypocrisy of Japan appealing for nuclear abolition while remaining under the U.S. nuclear umbrella.
Other members of the committee are Yoshino Oishi, a photojournalist; Kinhide Mushakoji, an expert on international politics; Hideo Tsuchiyama, former president of Nagasaki University; Kayoko Ikeda, a translator; Satoru Ikeuchi, an astrophysicist; and Konuma Michiji, former president of the Physical Society of Japan. The seven members shared their views and engaged in discussion for nearly three hours. They stated such opinions as “Security means avoiding the creation of enemies” and “The issue of the U.S. military presence in Japan should be considered from the perspective of Okinawa.”
The group was established in 1955 by the late Hideki Yukawa, the Nobel laureate for physics in 1949, among others. To date, it has issued 103 appeals, mainly on nuclear issues. This past August, Mr. Tsuchiyama directly conveyed his hopes for UN leadership with regard to nuclear abolition to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, when Mr. Ban visited the city of Nagasaki.
Mr. Konuma, the representative of the committee, spoke about his resolve to improve conveying the message of nuclear abolition to the world in order to rouse public opinion. “We will continue making small, but advancing steps so that the opportunity to abolish nuclear weapons can be grasped when it appears,” he said.
(Originally published on November 25, 2010)
“The Committee of Seven for World Peace,” comprised of cultural and intellectual figures calling for nuclear abolition, welcomed writer Takashi Tsujii as the successor of writer Hisashi Inoue, who died in April. The first meeting since the committee welcomed Mr. Tsujii was held in Tokyo on November 12. Mr. Tsujii, alongside the other members, made an appeal for nuclear abolition grounded in principles of humanity and pacifism, hallmarks of the group since its establishment.
The meeting entitled “Peace Without Arms” was attended by about 500 people. Mr. Tsujii was the first to take the podium. He leveled criticism against the Japanese government, saying, “Since the dawn of nuclear arms, the Japanese government has had the right, as the only nation to have suffered nuclear attack, to make the appeal that war must never be waged. But it seems that our leadership is not willing to exert that right.” He also pointed out the hypocrisy of Japan appealing for nuclear abolition while remaining under the U.S. nuclear umbrella.
Other members of the committee are Yoshino Oishi, a photojournalist; Kinhide Mushakoji, an expert on international politics; Hideo Tsuchiyama, former president of Nagasaki University; Kayoko Ikeda, a translator; Satoru Ikeuchi, an astrophysicist; and Konuma Michiji, former president of the Physical Society of Japan. The seven members shared their views and engaged in discussion for nearly three hours. They stated such opinions as “Security means avoiding the creation of enemies” and “The issue of the U.S. military presence in Japan should be considered from the perspective of Okinawa.”
The group was established in 1955 by the late Hideki Yukawa, the Nobel laureate for physics in 1949, among others. To date, it has issued 103 appeals, mainly on nuclear issues. This past August, Mr. Tsuchiyama directly conveyed his hopes for UN leadership with regard to nuclear abolition to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, when Mr. Ban visited the city of Nagasaki.
Mr. Konuma, the representative of the committee, spoke about his resolve to improve conveying the message of nuclear abolition to the world in order to rouse public opinion. “We will continue making small, but advancing steps so that the opportunity to abolish nuclear weapons can be grasped when it appears,” he said.
(Originally published on November 25, 2010)
