New Year's Message from the Mayor

The City of Hiroshima builds its city planning upon the following three pillars to realize our ultimate goal of becoming an International Peace Culture City: becoming a World-Renowned City of Peace, a Vibrant and Internationally Inclusive City, and a City That Fosters Well-Rounded Citizens and Where Culture Thrives. It is with these pillars in mind that we are strongly and steadily promoting the formation of regional communities based on the concepts of mutual assistance and cooperation in terms of both tangible and intangible elements while carrying out policies mindful of sustainability and circulation.

First, let us look at becoming a World-Renowned City of Peace. In 2024, the City of Hiroshima, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima City University, and the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation cooperated to establish the Hiroshima Peace Research and Education Organization to create a hub for peace research and education. I attended the Second Session of the Preparatory Committee for the Eleventh Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference where I reconfirmed the necessity of pushing an environment where policymakers can proceed with nuclear disarmament through diplomatic efforts through dialogue. This year marks 80 years since the atomic bombing. Together with Mayors for Peace member cities around the world, we will enhance and strengthen our initiatives to promote the culture of peace in order to realize lasting world peace and the abolition of nuclear weapons. We will work harder than ever to create an environment where the consensus of civil society that yearns for peace will reach the hearts of the policymakers around the world.

Next, on becoming a Vibrant and Internationally Inclusive City: last year saw the opening of the soccer stadium, the newest landmark symbol of Hiroshima, as well as nearby facilities such as shops, restaurants, and more. This year will see the opening of the new Ekimae Ohashi route, bringing streetcar service into the second floor of the new Hiroshima Station Building. In other news, Bus Cooperation and Co-Creation Platform Hiroshima will incorporate to become a company and effectively begin working in April. This company will play a central role in the Joint Management System for Shared Bus Service that is run in cooperation by eight bus companies in the city and prefecture. As you can see, Hiroshima is in the midst of being reborn and we are working to create a lively and vibrant city by cooperating with private businesses.

Finally, the third pillar: becoming a City That Fosters Well-Rounded Citizens and Where Culture Thrives. We are currently working to prepare an ordinance to further enhance support for Hiroshima LMO, aiming to enact it in March and enforce it in July. Hiroshima LMO is a Hiroshima local management organization that carries out citizen-led community planning based in the spirit of mutual assistance to realize sustainable local communities. In addition, we will enact the Hiroshima City Children and Youth Plan (Provisional Title) during this fiscal year to provide meticulous support to young people and families raising children.

Through these initiatives and more, and in the spirit of mutual assistance, we aim to realize a society of community coexistence where all citizens can live sustainably in the places they hold dear. Where together they can build a community, lifestyle, and meaning, and where they can inspire and help one another grow.

Inquiries regarding this page

Mayor's Office, Secretarial Division, Planning and General Affairs Bureau
1-6-34 Kokutaiji-machi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima City
Tel: 082-504-2037 / Fax: 082-246-4734