Latest news with #HiroshimaPeaceMemorial
Japan Forward
a day ago
- Politics
- Japan Forward
The Peril of Japan's 'Peace Trap'
In Japan, the word "peace" holds special reverence in August. Meanwhile, the word "war" is unequivocally condemned as an absolute evil. This is because August marks the anniversaries of the two atomic bombings and Japan's defeat in World War II. It's a national custom to reflect on the devastation of conflict, the value of human life, and honor those who perished. The United States, in contrast, attaches conditions such as freedom and independence to peace, viewing war as sometimes unavoidable in the name of defending justice and the nation. Even when hearkening back to its war with Japan, Americans often celebrate their victory on the premise that wars are sometimes necessary. Seen from this juxtaposition, Japan's August "peace chorus" prompts a question: What of Japan's national security? The idea of peace invoked in Japan every August refers solely to the absence of war without examining its quality or substance. Most other nations, including the US, take for granted that the peace they pursue must be bound to the freedom and independence of both the state and its people. For instance, when President Barack Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009, he remarked, "For peace is not merely the absence of visible conflict. Only a just peace based on the inherent rights and dignity of every individual can truly be lasting." Nobel Committee Chairman Thorbjorn Jagland presents President Barack Obama with the Nobel Prize medal at Oslo City Hall in Oslo, Norway, Dec. 10, 2009. (©White House/Samantha Appleton) Ho Chi Minh, who led Vietnam's revolutionary struggle to victory, frequently said that "there is nothing more precious than independence and freedom." He was determined to sacrifice peace in pursuit of independence and freedom for his nation. On the other hand, Japan's conception of peace holds that as long as there is no war, all is well. By this logic, it rejects the necessity of war under any circumstances. Apply this "peace chorus" to present-day situations like Ukraine. It would mean leaving Russia free to occupy Ukrainian territory in its entirety. Of course, peace is preferable to war at the individual level. Japan's "peace chorus" often leads even children to declare that war is utterly unacceptable. This can be understood in light of the human tragedy of Japan's loss in World War II. That said, if denied the right to wage war in self-defense against foreign invasion, a nation will be forced to surrender without resistance. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (originally the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall) photographed by Shigeo Hayashi in October 1945, two months after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. (Courtesy of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum) Peace Memorial Ceremony held at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on August 6, 2024. Japan's "peace chorus" is troubling in this regard, as it offers no guidance on how to sustain peace or avert war. This is in stark contrast to the first Trump administration's National Security Strategy, which stated that the best way to prevent war is to prepare for war and maintain the "ability to fight and win across any plausible conflict that threatens US vital interests." In other words, a country that projects assured victory, even when under imminent threat, deters any nation from daring to challenge it. Every country in the world maintains its military capabilities and resolve for self-defense. The idea is that such readiness discourages aggression and safeguards the peace — it's a policy of deterrence. In Japan, people so often gather to chant "peace," seemingly from their hearts. Yet this does not guarantee anything, because true peace depends on Japan's relations with the outside world, not on conditions within its borders. No matter how fervently Japanese citizens call for peace, it's ultimately external forces that hold the power to undermine it. The excessive fixation on the word "peace" could thus compel Japan to abandon defending its homeland from the very outset. And what outcome could this bring, other than peril? Author: Yoshihisa Komori, Associate Correspondent in Washington, The Sankei Shimbun (Read this in Japanese )
Perth Now
6 days ago
- General
- Perth Now
Fremantle marks Hiroshima anniversary
Trees that had grown from seeds taken from a tree that survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima but were vandalised have been re-planted. The seeds from the ginkgo biloba tree were presented to the City of Fremantle in 2014 by incumbent Hiroshima mayor Kazumi as part of the Mayors for Peace initiative and planted in 2020 to form a peace grove in North Fremantle. The trees were sawn in half by vandals in 2022 but careful nurturing by the Ellenby Tree Farm and the City of South Perth nursery has brought them back to health. They have been given a new home in Gordon Dedman Reserve, next to the North Freo Bowlo and North Fremantle Social Farm. Fremantle mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge re-planted them with deputy Consul of Japan Daisuke Hasegawa, community representatives and North Fremantle Primary School students on Thursday, August 6, the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. 'Long may they thrive and remind us of our shared humanity when we consider the futility of war and strive to ensure the horror of nuclear weapons is never repeated in the future,' Ms Fitzhardinge said. Fremantle MHR Josh Wilson represented the Australian Government at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial ceremony on August 6. Fremantle MHR Josh Wilson at the Hiroshima Peace Centre. Credit: Supplied He was last there in 2016 as Fremantle deputy mayor for the Mayors for Peace initiative. 'It is a solemn reminder of the foundational value of peace and the necessity and the imperative of the cause of nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament,' Mr Wilson said.
NHK
20-06-2025
- General
- NHK
Japan's Emperor, Empress wrap up trip to Hiroshima
Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako have wrapped up a visit to Hiroshima. They met with survivors of the atomic bomb and paid their respects to people who died in World War Two. The Imperial couple's visit took place on Thursday and Friday. It was their first time in Hiroshima since the Emperor ascended the throne in 2019. On Friday they visited a nursing home for atomic bomb survivors, also known as hibakusha. The facility houses 94 people aged between 81 and 103. The Emperor and Empress asked some of them about where they lived at the time of the blast and their time at the nursing home. They also wished the hibakusha good health. This year marks 80 years since the end of World War Two. The Emperor and Empress believe it is important to pass on people's memories of the war to younger generations. On Thursday the Imperial couple paid their respects to the war dead at Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park. They also talked with people who have been trained to convey the stories of the hibakusha, who are advancing in age.
Al Arabiya
19-06-2025
- General
- Al Arabiya
Japan's Royal Couple Mourn A-Bomb Victims Ahead of Hiroshima's 80th Anniversary
Japan's Emperor Naruhito paid respects to atomic bombing victims in Hiroshima as the city marks the 80th anniversary of the tragedy later this year. Naruhito, accompanied by his wife, Empress Masako, bowed deeply at the cenotaph for the atomic bombing victims and offered bouquets of white flowers. The atomic bomb dropped by the US on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, destroyed the city, killing 140,000 people. A second bomb dropped three days later on Nagasaki killed 70,000 more. Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, ending World War II and its nearly half-century aggression in Asia. Naruhito has repeatedly stressed the importance to remember and keep telling the tragedy of the war to younger generations. Naruhito and Masako also visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum to observe exhibits, including those featuring Nihon Hidankyo, a grassroots organization awarded last year's Nobel Peace Prize. The couple met atomic bombing survivors, or hibakusha, and those born after the war and trained to tell the stories on behalf of those who can no longer do so. Naruhito is making his third trip to mourn the war dead this year. In April, the couple visited Iwo Jima to pay tribute to about 20,000 Japanese and nearly 7,000 US Marines killed in the Battle of Iwo Jima, fought from Feb. 19 to March 26, 1945. Earlier this month, Naruhito also visited Okinawa to mourn about 188,000 Japanese – half of them Okinawan civilians – and about 12,000 Americans killed in the Battle of Okinawa. Naruhito accompanied his daughter, Princess Aiko, underscoring his wish that she would learn the hardships of the Okinawan people and share their stories with younger generations.
Free Malaysia Today
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
US intel chief denounces ‘warmongers' after Hiroshima visit
US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard visited Hiroshima ahead of the 80th anniversary of the world's only atomic bombings. (AP pic) WASHINGTON : US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard warned Tuesday after a trip to Hiroshima that 'warmongers' were pushing the world to the brink of nuclear war, in an extraordinary, if veiled, pitch for diplomacy. Gabbard did not specify her concerns, but Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly brandished the spectre of nuclear war as he cautions Europe and the US against support for Ukraine. Gabbard, a former congresswoman who has faced criticism in the past for her views on Russia, posted a video of grisly footage from the world's first nuclear attack and of her staring reflectively at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. On Aug 6, 1945, the US obliterated Hiroshima, killing 140,000 in the explosion and by the end of the year from the uranium bomb's effects. Three days later, a US plane dropped a plutonium bomb on Nagasaki, leaving around 74,000 people dead by the end of the year. Japan surrendered on Aug 15. 'This one bomb that caused so much destruction in Hiroshima was tiny compared to today's nuclear bombs,' Gabbard said. 'A single nuclear weapon today could kill millions in just minutes.' 'As we stand here today closer to the brink of nuclear annihilation than ever before, political elites and warmongers are carelessly fomenting fear and tensions between nuclear powers,' she said. 'Perhaps it's because they are confident that they will have access to nuclear shelters for themselves and for their families that regular people won't have access to.' Taking a tone more customary for a politician or activist than the director of national intelligence, Gabbard said: 'So it's up to us, the people, to speak up and demand an end to this madness.' Japanese media reports said the comments were 'extremely rare' for an incumbent US government official, and at odds with Washington's past justification of the bombings. Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan's top government spokesman, declined to comment directly on Gabbard's video. But he said an 'accurate understanding' of the destruction and suffering caused by atomic bombs would 'serve as the basis for various efforts toward nuclear disarmament'. 'It's important for Japan to continue its realistic, pragmatic efforts with the United States to realise a nuclear-free world, based on the belief that the carnage in Hiroshima and Nagasaki must not be repeated,' Hayashi said. Gabbard's remarks come as aides to President Donald Trump voice growing frustration with Putin, who has refused US-led, Ukraine-backed calls for a temporary ceasefire. Secretary of state Marco Rubio, whom Gabbard criticised before the two entered Trump's cabinet, has warned that the US could walk away from diplomacy over the Ukraine conflict if there are no positive signs. Gabbard, a former Democrat, faced a heated confirmation hearing but ultimately prevailed after Democrats and some Republicans questioned her past statements, including some supportive of Russian positions. She has said that the EU and Washington should have listened to Russian security concerns about Ukraine joining Nato. Gabbard's visit to Hiroshima comes ahead of the 80th anniversary of the world's only atomic bombings. The US has never apologised for the attacks.
