Latest news with #NakamitsuIzumi
NHK
05-05-2025
- General
- NHK
Trees grown from seeds that survived atomic bombing planted at UN headquarters
Two saplings grown from seeds that survived the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima have been planted at the United Nations headquarters in New York, in the hope of realizing a world without nuclear weapons. The seeds were taken from a persimmon tree that was exposed to the intense blast and radiation around 500 meters from the hypocenter in the Japanese city. A tree-planting ceremony was held on Monday and was attended by the President of the UN General Assembly, Japan's UN Ambassador Yamazaki Kazuyuki and the chair of the preparatory committee for next year's review conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Addressing the ceremony, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Nakamitsu Izumi said the trees are a symbol of peace and resilience. Noting this year marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Nakamitsu called on people not just to remember all the horrible events, but to turn this into "an important occasion to build momentum to reverse the current, rather unfortunate trend of arms building and tensions rising." The persimmon tree was reportedly picked from among various trees that endured the atomic bombing, in consideration of the climate and soil of New York. Shimazu Junko, a member of Green Legacy Hiroshima, said she heard from a hibakusha, or an atomic-bomb survivor, that sprouting greenery provided survivors high hopes at a time when it was widely believed that no plants could grow in Hiroshima for as many as 70 years. She went on to say that she wants people to feel the hope the survivors felt to see greenery in the ruins, and to guide them toward peace.
NHK
30-04-2025
- Politics
- NHK
Youths from Hiroshima, Nagasaki call for nuclear-free world at United Nations
Students from Hiroshima and Nagasaki have called for a world free of nuclear weapons at the United Nations in New York. The appeal came on Tuesday at a meeting of the Mayors for Peace, attended by the mayors of the two Japanese cities that suffered atomic bombings in 1945. The session was held on the sidelines of a preparatory committee meeting for next year's review conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. High school and university students from Japan spoke about their wishes for peace. They said they are the last generation that will be able to directly hear the stories of the atomic bomb survivors, who are now aged over 85 on average. The students also talked about the continued suffering of the survivors, known as hibakusha, from leukemia and other conditions. UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Nakamitsu Izumi voiced her hope in the youth activities. She said the students have the right to demand what they want, in order to make sure the world will be a safer and more secure place. The Japanese students also had a chance to talk with young people from other countries. Kawamura Hanon is a third generation hibakusha from Hiroshima. She said she was motivated to change the way peace education is provided in Japan, after learning of the different approaches in other countries.
