Hiroshima mayor won’t insist on apology from Obama
Sep. 26, 2013
by Kohei Okata, Staff Writer
On September 19, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui again stated that he would not insist on an apology for the atomic bombing from U.S. President Barack Obama if a visit by Mr. Obama to Hiroshima should become a reality. Mr. Matsui expressed this stance in response to a question during a meeting of the city council.
Mr. Matsui said, “I won’t insist on an apology from Mr. Obama. I hope that Mr. Obama will gain a deep understanding of the experiences of the A-bomb survivors and their desire for peace through a tour of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and a visit to the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims, and that he will step up his positive efforts for the abolition of nuclear weapons.”
When Mr. Obama made his first visit to Japan in November 2009, he said that it would be an honor to visit the A-bombed cities one day. The Japanese and U.S. governments have been preparing for Mr. Obama’s second visit to Japan next spring. During these preparations, potential visits to the A-bombed cities have become a focal point.
(Originally published on September 20, 2013)
On September 19, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui again stated that he would not insist on an apology for the atomic bombing from U.S. President Barack Obama if a visit by Mr. Obama to Hiroshima should become a reality. Mr. Matsui expressed this stance in response to a question during a meeting of the city council.
Mr. Matsui said, “I won’t insist on an apology from Mr. Obama. I hope that Mr. Obama will gain a deep understanding of the experiences of the A-bomb survivors and their desire for peace through a tour of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and a visit to the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims, and that he will step up his positive efforts for the abolition of nuclear weapons.”
When Mr. Obama made his first visit to Japan in November 2009, he said that it would be an honor to visit the A-bombed cities one day. The Japanese and U.S. governments have been preparing for Mr. Obama’s second visit to Japan next spring. During these preparations, potential visits to the A-bombed cities have become a focal point.
(Originally published on September 20, 2013)
