Mr. Takashi Hiraoka

Ringing the Changes: 1

Hiroshima City has a new mayor. Mr. Tadatoshi Akiba formally took over from Mr. Takashi Hiraoka on 23 February. The day before, Mr. Hiraoka gave his final address at a ceremony to mark the end of his term of office as mayor. In his address before some 700 employees of the city office, he praised the community spirit of Hiroshima citizens, especially their volunteer efforts. After the ceremony Mr. Hiraoka was presented with a bouquet of flowers and left the city office.

Mr. Tadatoshi Akiba

The following morning at 8:45, Mr. Akiba arrived at the city office and there was a similar ceremony, but this time a welcoming ceremony. He was presented with a bouquet of flowers and walked past a line of employees into the city office. At the ceremony Mr. Akiba called for more grassroots participation by Hiroshima's citizenry in their own affairs. A regular 'office hour' at the city office and 'town meetings' held in various parts of the city were two ways the new mayor suggested for creating more effective popular participation in local government.

Ringing the Changes: 2

As Hiroshima City has gained a new mayor, it has lost the head of its new peace institute. One of Mr. Hiraoka's actions as Mayor was to establish the institute at Hiroshima City University and to install Mr. Yasushi Akashi, formerly Undersecretary General of the United Nations, as its first Director. However, less than a year after the peace institute opened, Mr. Akashi announced his intention of standing as a candidate for election as Governor of Tokyo. Since Mr. Koji Kakizawa, a former foreign minister, also declared his candidacy, Mr. Akashi hesitated before making a final decision. In the end, he was persuaded to run by the prime minister, Mr. Keizo Obuchi and as a result, he announced his resignation as head of the peace institute on 19 February. There were mixed reactions to Mr. Akashi's decision. Some Hiroshima residents thought he should have stayed until the institute was more firmly established. Others felt that he could work for world peace just as effectively in Tokyo.

Three into Two

Hiroshima prefectural police have improved rush hour traffic flow on the Nishi-Hiroshima Bypass, by means of a simple expedient. They have prevented drivers from using the hard shoulder (the special lane intended for emergency vehicles). The road has four lanes and impatient drivers had been making an unofficial third lane. When these vehicles rejoined the other two lanes at the end of the bypass, major traffic jams resulted.

「交代の鐘がなる：１」

　広島市に新市長が誕生した。秋葉忠利氏が２月23日、平岡敬氏から市長職を正式に引き継いだ。その前日、平岡氏は、市長職の任期が終わるのを記念する式典で、最後のあいさつをした。市役所の職員７００人を前に、市民の連帯意識、特にボランティア精神をほめたたえた。式典の後、平岡氏は花束を受け取り、市役所を後にした。

　翌日午前８時45分、秋葉氏が市役所に到着し、同じような式典が開かれたが、今回は歓迎式典であった。秋葉氏は花束を受け取り、出迎える市職員の列の前を通って市庁舎に入っていった。秋葉氏は式典で、広島市民に対し、市民による市民のための市政への参加を求めた。そして、市役所で市民と対話する「オフィスアワー」や、地域懇談会「タウンミーティング」の開催を提案した。

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「交代の鐘がなる：２」

　広島市は、新しい市長が誕生した一方、平和研究所の中心人物を失った。平岡市長の功績の１つは、広島市立大学に平和研究所を設立し、国連の前事務次長、明石康氏を初代所長に任命したことだ。しかし、同研究所の開設１年を待たず、明石氏は東京都知事選挙への出馬を表明した。明石氏は、前外務大臣の柿沢弘治氏が出馬を表明した後、最終決定をややためらった。しかし、小渕恵三首相に出馬するよう説得され、２月19日、同研究所長の辞任を明らかにした。明石氏の辞任にはさまざまな反応があった。市民の中には、同研究所が確立されるまでのこるべきだ、という人がいた一方、明石氏なら東京でも世界平和のために活躍できる、と考える人もいた。

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「３つから２つへ」

　広島県警は、西広島バイパスのラッシュアワーの車の流れを簡単な方法で改善した。緊急車両が通るための路肩を通行させないようにしたのだ。バイパスは片側２車線（上下合わせて４車線）で、短気な運転手は勝手に３つ目の車線を作っていた。これらの車が、バイパスの最後で元の車線に戻ろうとして、渋滞が発生していた。