Hiroshima's Mayor Calls on Prime Minister to Attend U.N. Nuclear Treaty Meeting

TOKYO - The Mayor of Hiroshima, Kazumi Matsui, has urged Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to take a firm stance on Japan's involvement as an observer at the upcoming meeting of signatories to the U.N. nuclear weapons ban treaty scheduled for March. In a meeting held at the Prime Minister's office, Matsui emphasized the urgency of Japan's participation, reflecting on the nation's unique historical context as the only country to have endured the devastation of atomic bombings during World War II.

Japan has long relied on the protection of the U.S. nuclear umbrella and has opted not to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which became effective in 2021. Matsui, representing a coalition of municipal leaders advocating for nuclear disarmament, conveyed the collective sentiment during the meeting. Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki also attended, highlighting the broader municipal concern regarding nuclear arms.

In a letter submitted to Ishiba, the mayors referenced the recent Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, the foremost organization of atomic bomb survivors in Japan, as a significant indicator that the use of nuclear weapons is unacceptable. They called for Japan's endorsement of the nuclear ban treaty, stressing the necessity of working towards a world devoid of such weapons.

Despite acknowledging the importance of nuclear disarmament, Ishiba's responses have been somewhat vague. During a previous engagement with members of Hidankyo on January 8, he refrained from providing a clear commitment to Japan's participation in the March meeting in New York, leaving many advocates concerned about the government's stance.

The Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, which received the Nobel Peace Prize for its advocacy for a nuclear-free world, continues to exert pressure on the government to reconsider its position on nuclear weapons and international treaties aimed at their abolition.