On August 6, 1998, Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Day marked the 53rd Anniversary of the
A-bombing, Mayor Takashi Hiraoka of Hiroshima delivered the Peace Declaration. He said in
the declaration, "Hiroshima is working to establish and strengthen interpersonal and
intercity ties transcending national borders, and we hope that this network can impact
international politics to create a nuclear-free world.
The nuclear tests by India and Pakistan caused the world grave concern that the nuclear
weapons competition between both countries might ripple out to neighboring nations and
others suspected of having nuclear weapons, creating an unstoppable nuclear proliferation
and general nuclear arms race. India and Pakistan were obsessed with their logic rooted in
national interests and pushed ahead their nuclear devices.
Ambassadors of India and Pakistan who attended the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony
said, "I realized that the devastation of nuclear weapons was indiscriminatory."
"I deeply understand that the pain and sadness of who experienced the Hiroshima
disaster still linger." Both Ambassadors justified their countries' actions.
"There is a reason for our action."
Their statements tell us that as long as a country is obsessed with national interests,
nuclear weapons remain as useful instruments to invest on.
Hiroshima's appeal for the world to establish and strengthen interpersonal and
intercity ties transcending national borders, is nothing new. The World Conference of
Mayors for Peace through Inter-city Solidarity sponsored by Hiroshima and grass-roots
cultural exchanges have obtained good results so far. But why did the Mayor's declaration
have such an impact this year?
We can't find the reason other than the situation the world is facing now. The world
has never been exposed to such a danger of nuclear proliferation before.
The majority of Indian and Pakistani people were jubilant at the time of their
nuclear-fever. The Peace Memorial Day of Hiroshima is a brand new start for the global and
firm cooperation.
Japan's Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi who attended the ceremony for the first time, said,
"I felt a heavy responsibility to work for the nuclear non-proliferation". He
expressed his intention to work on the following issues.
Obuchi's intention is to work together with Brazil and Argentina which don't possess
nuclear weapons although they are capable of doing so. South Africa is also a country
which Obuchi wants to collaborate with. South Africa used to possess nuclear weapons but
they decided to abandon them. Obuchi is trying work together with those countries in order
to influence declared nuclear Powers.
But Japan has been restraining itself from taking a lead in this matter due to the fact
that the U.S. nuclear umbrella protects Japan. He didn't show us the way to overcome this
difficulty.
Another Obuchi's intention is sponsoring "an emergency action conference".
The purpose of this conference is to hammer out concrete proposals on nuclear
non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament. About 20 scholars are invited and it is
scheduled to be held 4 times until the end of this year. The first one is going to be held
on August 30 and 31. They are planning to hold one conference in Hiroshima. The government
takes a leadership in this project so that is must be responsible for selecting scholars
and proceeding the agenda. In other word, the result of this conference depends on Japan's
initiative in order to hammer out a proposal which can turn down the theory of nuclear
deterrence.
Obuchi made clear about establishing a new Peace Museum which has a purpose to pay
respect for the A-bomb victims. When the former Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Health and
Welfare said that the project needed to be reconsidered, the future of the project became
unpredictable and his statement caused a great sensation in Hiroshima. According to
Obuchi, the project seems to be under control as planned.
Obuchi hardly ever touched the public administration for survivors before. When he met
the representatives of survivors' organizations on August 6 in Hiroshima, he had to choose
the words and couldn't give clear answers. He didn't know about a survivor's trip to India
and Pakistan after the tests to tell the realities of the Hiroshima disaster. "It is
my first to time to hear that. I'm impressed", he said.
Obuchi was openhearted. He also promised the survivors that he would support activities
such as telling the realities of the A-bombing throughout the country. His promises also
include holding the A-bomb exhibitions abroad.
Obuchi seemed to share the same feeling with the citizens' grassroots movement. This
was stated in Hiraoka's Peace Declaration. In order to put his honest feeling into
concrete shape, the true leadership must have full play.
Hiraoka demanded to initiate negotiations immediately on a treaty for the nonuse of
nuclear weapons. The government should take his words seriously and show its positive
attitude such as conveying Hiraoka's proposal to the United Nations.
