CARTOON OF THE DAY (August 12)
#Typhoon
#Shigeru Ishiba
#Trump Tariffs
#Earthquake
#2025 Expo Osaka
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Yomiuri Shimbun
18 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
CARTOON OF THE DAY (August 12)
Hot word : #Typhoon #Shigeru Ishiba #Trump Tariffs #Earthquake #2025 Expo Osaka Home > Features > Political Cartoons
Kyodo News
2 days ago
- Kyodo News
FOCUS: Japan at nuclear crossroads 80 yrs after A-bombings as survivors age
NAGASAKI - Eighty years after the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan faces with growing urgency the question of how to carry forward the moral voice for ridding the world of nuclear weapons as generational memory fades and nuclear risks rise amid the advancement of technology. Atomic bomb survivors, who have helped shape the nuclear taboo over the past decades, are now on average over the age of 86, meaning that the generation of those who witnessed firsthand the horrific effects of nuclear weapons is nearing its end, leaving a void increasingly difficult to fill. Positioned close to an assertive China and North Korea that is honing its nuclear capabilities, the Japanese government is unlikely to give up its reliance on the U.S. nuclear deterrent anytime soon, despite viewing its mission as advocating for a world without nuclear weapons. Following this week's 80th atomic bomb commemorative events, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said at a press conference Saturday that the government is committed to defending the country and its people, while at the same time working to eliminate nuclear weapons. "So how do we balance these two issues? I firmly believe that we have to fulfill both responsibilities," he said. Heigo Sato, a professor with expertise on security issues at Takushoku University in Tokyo, said Japan, the only country to have suffered nuclear attacks in war, should continue to play a key role in leading global efforts toward nuclear disarmament through what he calls a "multiple-pronged approach," given the challenges seen in international treaties regarding nuclear weapons. While the U.N. nuclear ban treaty lacks the support of nuclear weapon states, a broader arms control regime based on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is increasingly under strain. In June, the United States carried out air strikes on Iran to degrade its nuclear programs, leading Tehran to issue threats to withdraw from the NPT. "We should neither be too dominated by talks on nuclear deterrence, nor be obsessed with the nuclear ban treaty," Sato said, suggesting that other approaches could include reinforcing a system to prevent nuclear proliferation or "fostering an international social movement that rejects nuclear weapons." As nuclear weapon states continue to modernize and expand their arsenals amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, conflicts in the Midde East and other geopolitical tensions, the landscape could be further complicated as artificial intelligence is eventually incorporated into nuclear command and control systems. Melissa Parke of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, which won the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize, warned of a "perilous" nuclear age in which AI, rather than human judgment, drives decision-making. She argues that this technological detachment makes it all the more urgent that policymakers heed the messages of those who have experienced the consequences of nuclear weapons firsthand. "We need global leaders to be listening to the hibakusha (survivors) about the reality of what nuclear weapons actually do to people. They talk in very abstract terms about nuclear weapons and nuclear deterrence," said Parke. "But the reality is actually what the hibakusha are talking about." The testimonies of the survivors to convey the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons can only increase its significance as time passes, with both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki city governments training future generations to become "storytellers" to carry forward the account. But Sato is doubtful about the effectiveness of such efforts, saying that future storytellers are "no different from a game of telephone" as they are essentially recounting someone else's story. "As with any game of telephone, the further along the chain you go, the more the message gets distorted or loses impact," he said. Mitsuhiro Hayashida, whose grandfather survived the atomic blast in Nagasaki, said a broader understanding of history, including Japan's aggression in the lead-up to and during World War II, will help encourage the youth to link the stories with present day action to realize peace. In contrast to Germany, where children study the history of World War II in the hope of preventing future atrocities, the discourse in Japan tends to focus on victimhood, he said. "We need to explain the atomic bombings not just as isolated events, but in connection with the broader history of the war -- why that war happened, and what kind of reflection followed in postwar Japan," said the 33-year-old, who founded Peace Education Lab Nagasaki in 2023 to provide such training. While the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize last year to Nihon Hidankyo, Japan's leading group of atomic bomb survivors, has helped to reinvigorate citizens' movements and individual activists, a significant impact on a government policy level has yet to be seen. Terumi Tanaka, 93, who has long played a key role in Nihon Hidankyo, said that the government, as a democracy, reflects the will of the people. "If we have a government that supports policies like nuclear deterrence, ultimately, it's the responsibility of the citizens," Tanaka, a co-chair of the group, said at an event in Nagasaki on Friday. For Tanaka, who was exposed to the bombing in the city at age 13, seeing his efforts culminate in the signing and ratification of the nuclear ban treaty by Japan and meaningful steps toward eliminating nuclear weapons is one of his greatest wishes in life. "If we can begin to see a path to abolition, I think I can finally say farewell with peace in my heart," he said.
Yomiuri Shimbun
3 days ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Ishiba Makes No Mention of ‘Nuclear Sharing' Theory at Atomic Bombing Anniversaries; Remarks Criticized as Inconsistent
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba left out any mention of his 'nuclear sharing' theory, in which Japan would jointly operate U.S. nuclear weapons, in his speeches marking the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Ishiba instead emphasized the importance of maintaining the so-called three nonnuclear principles — neither possessing, producing nor permitting the introduction of nuclear weapons. In his speech at the Hiroshima ceremony on Wednesday, Ishiba reiterated his intention to strive for a 'world without nuclear weapons' under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. At a press conference following the ceremony, the prime minister said he 'does not intend to reconsider the three nonnuclear principles.' He added, 'Japan has absolutely no intention of possessing nuclear weapons.' Instead, he only emphasized the importance of extended deterrence, in which the United States protects Japan with its military capabilities, including nuclear weapons. In September, prior to taking office, Ishiba contributed an article to the Hudson Institute, a U.S. policy research organization. In the article, he called for the creation of an Asian version of NATO, which should consider sharing U.S. nuclear weapons. Referring to his theory on nuclear sharing, Ishiba said during the press conference: 'I have not considered it at all in relation to the three [nonnuclear] principles. Some people could misunderstand that nuclear sharing means nuclear ownership.' Opposition parties have criticized his remarks for being inconsistent with statements he has made in the past. 'The things that make Ishiba unique seem to have all disappeared, and it's as if he's becoming featureless,' Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People, told reporters in Hiroshima on Wednesday. He also said that nuclear sharing is 'extremely unlikely to happen.'
