Young trees from Hiroshima planted at UN as symbol of peacebuilding
NEW YORK (Kyodo) -- Two saplings from Hiroshima were planted Monday at the United Nations in New York as a symbol of global peacebuilding efforts as this year marks the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombings of Japan as well as the establishment of the world body.
Izumi Nakamitsu, U.N. undersecretary general for disarmament affairs, said during a planting ceremony that the young persimmon trees grew from seeds that survived the 1945 nuclear attack on the Japanese city and she hopes they will endure for another 80 years and beyond.
Describing the trees as "a symbol of peace" and "resilience," Nakamitsu also said, "What we all need to remember is that we can make peace and build peace if we are together."
Harold Agyeman, Ghana's top U.N. envoy who chairs a panel related to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, said he hopes the trees will be "a symbol of our united resolve and determined aspiration to make the United Nations a pillar of hope for the needs of the peoples of the world during our times."
Agyeman heads the preparatory committee for next year's U.N. conference to review the implementation of the treaty.
Kazuyuki Yamazaki, Japan's ambassador to the United Nations, also attended the ceremony.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
31 minutes ago
U.S. Intel Chief Speaks Out against Nuclear Weapons
News from Japan World Jun 11, 2025 09:12 (JST) Washington, June 10 (Jiji Press)--U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Tuesday called for the abolition of nuclear weapons, noting the devastation suffered by the atomic-bombed Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. "It's up to us...(to) demand an end to this madness" amid rising tensions between nuclear powers, Gabbard said in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter. It is extremely unusual for a sitting cabinet member of the United States, a nuclear superpower which has justified its atomic bombings on Japan in the closing days of World War II, to publicly express opposition to nuclear weapons. The call followed Gabbard's recent visit to Hiroshima, according to the U.S. intelligence chief. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Kyodo News
33 minutes ago
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: June 11, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 12 minutes ago - 09:06 | All, World, Japan The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- G7 leaders may skip joint declaration, 1st since 2014: Japan source TOKYO - The Group of Seven nations are likely to skip a joint statement at the end of an upcoming three-day summit in Canada, a Japanese government source said Tuesday, which would mark the first time since 2014 for the meeting to conclude without a consensus document. The move is apparently aimed at veiling internal divisions in the G7, known for its unity in tackling global challenges, as the leaders gather for their first in-person meeting since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January. ---------- Toyota proposes selling U.S. cars in Japan to promote tariff talks NAGOYA - Toyota Motor Corp. has proposed to the government that it sell U.S.-made cars in Japan through its domestic dealership network, the company said in an online video. The proposal is intended to support Japan's trade negotiations with the United States over President Donald Trump's tariffs. Observers said increased imports of U.S.-made cars could help narrow the large U.S. trade deficit, a source of frustration for Trump. ---------- Japan ruling bloc OKs campaigning on cash handouts in summer election TOKYO - Japan's ruling parties agreed Tuesday to include cash handouts for households hit by rising prices in their platforms for this summer's House of Councillors election, senior lawmakers said. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the main opposition force, unveiled its election pledges Tuesday, highlighting a proposal to suspend the 8 percent consumption tax on food for at least one year, in sharp contrast with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which opposes tax cuts. ---------- China says 2 aircraft carriers conducted combat training in Pacific BEIJING - The Chinese military said Tuesday that its two aircraft carriers, Liaoning and Shandong, carried out combat training in the Western Pacific, calling it a routine exercise and not targeted at any specific country. Japan said Monday it had spotted the two Chinese aircraft carriers operating simultaneously in the Pacific for the first time, a move that has further fueled Tokyo's concerns over Beijing's military activities. ---------- U.S. intel chief speaks out against nuclear arms after Japan visit WASHINGTON - U.S. intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard on Tuesday posted a video message speaking about the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II and called for a world without nuclear weapons. It is very unusual for an incumbent U.S. Cabinet member to publicly voice opposition to nuclear weapons. "It's up to us, the people, to speak up and demand an end to this madness. We must reject this path to nuclear war and work toward a world where no one has to live in fear of a nuclear holocaust," Gabbard said. ---------- Ex-Mongolia leader urges Japan lawmakers to end death penalty TOKYO - A former Mongolian president known for abolishing his country's death penalty urged Japanese lawmakers in a recent interview to take the same step despite the public's continued support for executions. "If you are a good politician, (and) if there are some bad practices, you have to go ahead and change public opinion," said Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, who led the move to terminate capital punishment in Mongolia in 2017 after taking the post in 2009. ---------- Japan PM's adviser to visit South Korea for 60th anniversary event TOKYO - Akihisa Nagashima, a special adviser to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, is planning to visit Seoul for an event next week to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the normalization of Japan-South Korea diplomatic ties, sources close to the matter said Tuesday. South Korean government officials are also expected to attend the ceremony organized by the Japanese Embassy in Seoul next Monday, with the two nations expected to affirm efforts to develop their relations and deepen friendship and cooperation, according to the sources. ---------- TEPCO tweaks plan to restart reactors at central Japan nuclear plant TOKYO - Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc., whose nuclear reactors have remained offline since the 2011 Fukushima disaster, plans to revise its strategy for restarting reactors in central Japan, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday. TEPCO is now preparing to restart the No. 6 unit of its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa complex in Niigata Prefecture, one of the world's largest nuclear power plants by output capacity, aiming to finish preparations in August, they said. Video: Rite at Ise Jingu shrine to transport sacred tree
an hour ago
INTERVIEW: Ex-Japan Envoy Calls for Avoiding Trump's Isolation at G-7
News from Japan Society Jun 11, 2025 08:30 (JST) Tokyo, June 11 (Jiji Press)--Former Japanese Ambassador to the United States Ichiro Fujisaki has highlighted the importance of maintaining the Group of Seven framework, in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump's reluctance on global cooperation. Fujisaki was speaking in an interview ahead of a three-day G-7 summit in Canada from Sunday, the first such meeting for Trump since he began his second term in January. "The (G-7) summit is like a regular medical checkup to assess whether the global democracy and market economy systems are functioning properly, so maintaining this framework is paramount," said Fujisaki, currently head of the America-Japan Society. As the Trump administration does not respect multilateralism, Fujisaki warned that the president may start saying that his country will no longer participate in the G-7 summit. "Japan and European members (of the G-7) should avoid teaming up and making Trump feel isolated," the former ambassador stressed. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
