Speeches by the
Mayors of Hiroshima & Nagasaki
August 6th & 9th
HIROSHIMA
August 6, 2002
Another hot, agonizing summer has arrived for our
hibakusha who, fifty-seven years ago, experienced "the end
of the world," and, consequently, have worked tirelessly
to bring peace to this world because "we cannot allow anyone
else to go through that experience."
One reason for their agony, of course, is the annual
reliving of that terrible tragedy.
In some ways more painful is the fact that their
experience appears to Be fading from the collective memory of
humankind. Having never experienced an atomic bombing, the vast
majority around the world can only vaguely imagine such horror,
and these days, John Hersey's Hiroshima and Jonathan Schell's
The Fate of the Earth are all but forgotten. As predicted by the
saying, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned
to repeat it," the probability that nuclear weapons will
be used and the danger of nuclear war are increasing.
Since the terrorist attack against the American
people on September 11 last year, the danger has become more striking.
The path of reconciliation--severing chains of hatred, violence
and retaliation--so long advocated by the survivors has been abandoned.
Today, the prevailing philosophy seems to be "I'll show you"
and "I'm stronger than you are." In Afghanistan and
the Middle East, in India and Pakistan, and wherever violent conflict
erupts, the victims of this philosophy are overwhelmingly women,
children, the elderly, and those least able to defend themselves.
President Kennedy said, "World peace...does
not require that each man Love his neighbor--it requires only
that they live together with mutual tolerance...." Within
this framework of tolerance, we must all begin cooperating in
any small way possible to build a common, brighter future for
the human family. This is the meaning of reconciliation.
The spirit of reconciliation is not concerned with
judging the past. Rather, it open-mindedly accepts human error
and works toward preventing such errors in the future. To that
end, conscientious exploration and understanding of the past is
vital, which is precisely why we are working to establish the
Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Study Course in colleges and universities
around the world.
In the "spiritual home for all people"
that Hiroshima is building grows An abundant Forest of Memory,
and the River of Reconciliation and Humanity flowing from that
forest is plied by Reason, Conscience and Compassion, ships that
ultimately sail to the Sea of Hope and the Future.
I strongly urge President Bush to visit Hiroshima
and Nagasaki to walk through that forest and ride that river.
I beg him to encounter this human legacy and confirm with his
own eyes what nuclear weapons hold in store for us all.
The United States government has no right to force
Pax Americana on the rest of us, or to unilaterally determine
the fate of the world. On the contrary, we, the people of the
world, have the right to demand "no annihilation without
representation."
Article 99 of the Japanese Constitution stipulates
that "The Emperor or the Regent as well as Ministers of State,
members of the Diet, judges, and all other public officials have
the obligation to respect and uphold this Constitution."
The proper role of the Japanese government, under this provision,
is to avoid making Japan a "normal country" capable
of making war "like all the other nations." The government
is bound to reject nuclear weapons absolutely and to renounce
war. Furthermore, the national government has a responsibility
to convey the memories, voices, and prayers of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
throughout the world, especially to the United States, and, for
the sake of tomorrow's children, to prevent war.
The first step is to listen humbly to the hibakusha
of the world. Assistance to all hibakusha, in particular to those
dwelling overseas, must be enhanced to allow them to continue,
in full security, to communicate their message of peace.
Today, in recalling the events of 57 years ago,
we, the people of Hiroshima, honor this collective human memory,
vow to do our utmost to create a "century of peace and humanity,"
and offer our sincere prayers for the peaceful repose of all the
atomic bomb victims.
Tadatoshi Akiba
Mayor
The City of Hiroshima
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NAGASAKI
August 9, 2002
Fifty-seven years ago today, August 9th, the City
of Nagasaki was instantly transformed into ruins. Dropped from
an altitude of 9,600 meters, a single atomic bomb was detonated
500 meters above the ground, emitting heat rays of several thousand
degrees Celsius and creating a blast winds of tremendous force,
unleashed against a civilian population of women, the elderly,
and blameless children. Some 74,000 people were killed, and 75,000
injured. Radiation-induced leukemia and cancers have gradually
claimed many more lives since. Even more than half a century later,
the survivors of the atomic bomb suffer constant anxiety over
their health, and are stalked by death.
If the instruments of indiscriminate mass destruction
known as nuclear weapons were ever to be used again, the environment
would be destroyed and the very survival of all humanity would
be jeopardized. The citizens of Nagasaki, having themselves experienced
the tragedy of an atomic bombing firsthand, have continued to
appeal to the world for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons.
Nevertheless, there remain in existence some 30,000 nuclear warheads,
each with unimaginably more destructive power than the bomb that
was dropped on Nagasaki. Most of these weapons are in a state
of immediate launch readiness.
Terrorist attacks against the United States were
staged on September 11th of last year, and we were outraged at
this wanton destruction of life and property. International tensions
have since been heightened by the ensuing attacks against Afghanistan
and intensified strife in the Middle East, as well as military
clashes between India and Pakistan that have threatened to devolve
into nuclear conflict.
In the midst of such serious international conditions,
the government of the United States has unilaterally withdrawn
from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty with Russia in the
name of terrorist countermeasures, and is moving forward with
missile defense programs. The United States has also rejected
ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and
has suggested the possibilities of restarting the production of
plutonium triggers, developing a new generation of compact nuclear
weapons, and engaging in preemptive nuclear strikes. Other concepts,
such as the redeployment of many warheads subject to deactivation
according to the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty with Russia,
also run counter to the disarmament efforts of international society.
We are appalled by this series of unilateral actions taken by
the government of the United States, actions which are also being
condemned by people of sound judgment throughout the world.
Domestically, comments by leaders of the Japanese
government concerning reconsideration of the Three Non-Nuclear
Principles have also stabbed at the hearts of Nagasaki citizens.
As the only nation ever to have sustained nuclear attack, it behooves
Japan to stand at the forefront of nuclear arms abolition. For
this reason, the Three Non-Nuclear Principles stating that Japan
will not possess, manufacture or allow nuclear weapons into the
country must be passed into law without delay. The Nagasaki City
Council has adopted a resolution calling for such legislation.
The Japanese government should embark on the creation of a Northeast
Asian nuclear-weapon-free zone, and should clearly present to
international society a posture of non-reliance on the "nuclear
umbrella." At the same time, we call on our nation's government
to take steps to enhance the welfare of aging atomic bomb survivors
residing both within and outside of Japan.
At home, citizens and local governments in Nagasaki
are working together to host a worldwide NGO gathering for the
second time in November 2003, and preparations are proceeding
apace. As of today, no fewer than 80% of Japan's local governments
have declared themselves to be in opposition to nuclear weapons.
We are forming linkages among NGOs, local governments, and United
Nations institutions, and we are resolved to work for the building
of a peaceful society.
The hibakusha atomic bomb survivors desire that
they be the final victims of atomic weapons. May our young people
inherit this desire for peace, and may they themselves consider
what is to be done, take action, and pass on this spirit to future.
Many of Nagasaki's young people are involved in volunteer activities
for peace. The City of Nagasaki supports the expansion of these
efforts, and is promoting the Nagasaki Peace Education Program
for the training and development of youth who are motivated to
take autonomous action.
The abolition of nuclear arms through mutual understanding
and dialogue is an absolute precondition for the realization of
a peaceful world. It is up to us, ordinary citizens, to rise up
and lead the world to peace.
Nagasaki must remain the final site of the calamity
of nuclear attack. Today, on the 57th anniversary of the atomic
bombing, we pray for the repose of those who died, and, in the
name of the citizens of the City of Nagasaki, I declare our undying
commitment to the complete and permanent elimination of nuclear
weapons.
Iccho Itoh
Mayor of Nagasaki
August 9, 2002
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