Hiroshima City's Initiatives for Peace

Under Article 95 of the Japanese Constitution, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial City Construction Law was enacted on August 6, 1949 to facilitate Hiroshima’s recovery after it was destroyed in the atomic bombing. As expressed in the first article of the law, it aimed to “provide for the construction of the City of Hiroshima as a peace memorial city to symbolize the human ideal of the sincere pursuit of genuine and lasting peace.”

Due to this law, the work of rebuilding Hiroshima as a symbol of world peace became a national project. Establishing the direction for town planning and bringing in more subsidies from the national government, the law contributed greatly to the reconstruction and development of Hiroshima.

74 years ago, Hiroshima suffered devastating damage as a result of the atomic bombing, in which the town and many precious lives were lost. Through great struggle, the survivors overcame their grief, and among the ruins of the land where it was said no trees or plants would grow for 75 years, through steady efforts and warm support from in and outside of Japan, Hiroshima accomplished an incredible reconstruction.

Hiroshima is recognized by people from around the world as a symbol of peace and hope. This is not only for its familiarity as the site of the atomic bombing, but because people worldwide value its reconstruction from ruins, and recognize it as the city that continues to aspire for nuclear weapons abolition and lasting world peace.

As the first A-bombed city in the world, the City of Hiroshima must pass down the efforts of the forerunners who worked to build a city of peace, and continue to remain a city that aims to realize the wish for nuclear abolition and lasting world peace. For this purpose, individual citizens must inherit and share the experiences of hibakusha (A-bomb survivors) and their wishes for peace, and spread them to the world, so that policymakers from various countries can empathize with these wishes.

 

(1) Realization of Nuclear Weapons Abolition and Lasting World Peace

Despite Hiroshima’s appeal for nuclear weapons abolition and lasting world peace that originates from the experience of the atomic bombing, even now there remain more than 14,000 nuclear warheads in the world. Moreover, the modernization and capability buildup of nuclear weapons and other controversial actions repeatedly cast a shadow on the movement for nuclear weapons abolition. On the other hand, in July 2017, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was adopted by 122 countries, which accounts for over 60% of UN member states. Furthermore, in December 2017 the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) was awarded Nobel Peace Prize for its contribution to the adoption of the treaty. As seen here, the recognition of the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and of the necessity of a legal framework for nuclear weapons abolition has been spreading throughout the international community.

Amidst this situation, in collaboration with Mayors for Peace＜外部リンク＞*, citizens from its member cities and NGOs, based on the 2020 Vision which aims for nuclear abolition by 2020, the City of Hiroshima is developing various nuclear abolition initiatives. Currently, we are strengthening our efforts under the Action Plan which prescribes activities until 2020. The Plan was adopted in the 9th General Conference of Mayors for Peace held in Nagasaki in August 2017.

Furthermore, we have been actively appealing to the Japanese government to promote proactive diplomacy towards nuclear weapons abolition through activities such as increasing the number of A-bomb exhibitions held abroad, contributing to deliberations on disarmament, and taking actions to enhance the effectiveness of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

*By the proposal of the Cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the organization was established as “the World Conference of Mayors for Peace through Inter-city Solidarity” in 1982. In August 2001, the name was changed to “Mayors for Peace”.
As of February 1, 2019, 7,709 cities from 163 countries and regions have joined Mayors for Peace.

Developing the 2020 Vision Campaign

Mayors for Peace has been globally promoting the 2020 Vision Campaign ＜外部リンク＞(Emergency Campaign to Ban Nuclear Weapons), aiming for the total abolition of nuclear weapons by the year 2020, in close cooperation with cities, citizens, and NGOs around the world. As part of the campaign, starting in December 2010, Mayors for Peace has carried out a petition drive calling for the early entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, collecting around 2,82 million signatures as of February 1, 2019. In April 2018, during the Second Preparatory Committee for the 2020 NPT Review Conference, 190,000 signatures were submitted to Ms. Whyte Gómez, Ambassador of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Costa Rica to the UN Office in Geneva (who chaired the UN Conference to negotiate a legally-binding treaty to prohibit nuclear weapons in 2017).

Also, in order to promote the domestic activities of Mayors for Peace, a Japanese Member Cities Meeting has been held annually since January 2012. At the meetings, it has been resolved to submit to the national government letters of request addressed to the Prime Minister of Japan calling for the promotion of efforts for nuclear weapons abolition.

Holding the 9th Mayors for Peace General Conference

Mayors for Peace holds a general conference every four years for its member cities to gather to discuss and make decisions on their peace initiatives and future activities. The 9th General Conference＜外部リンク＞ was held in Nagasaki from August 7 to 10, 2017.

Representatives from the City of Hiroshima which serves as the president city attended the conference, after discussing with the City of Nagasaki to ensure smooth implementation, and supported the conference secretariat in Nagasaki. In addition, we provided a special program for the general conference participants who also attended the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony prior to their visit to Nagasaki. 

Drawing up and disseminating the Peace Declaration

The mayor of Hiroshima delivers a Peace Declaration at the Peace Memorial Ceremony every August 6 to convey to the world the spirit of Hiroshima, which calls for the abolition of nuclear weapons. To disseminate the declaration, the Japanese original and the English translation are sent to various entities including all foreign embassies in Japan, the permanent mission of each country to the United Nations and the member cities of Mayors for Peace. Besides English, the declaration is translated into 9 different languages and disseminated widely through the internet and by other means.

Protest against nuclear testing 

The City of Hiroshima has sent protest letters to countries that conduct nuclear tests since 1968. We also send letters of protest or request in response to various nuclear weapons issues.

A-bomb exhibitions overseas

Since 1995, the 50th anniversary of the atomic bombing, we have held A-bomb exhibitions overseas to communicate the reality of the atomic bombing and raise international opinion in support of nuclear abolition through artifacts, photo panels, and hibakusha testimonies. In FY 2018, exhibitions were held in Budapest (Hungary), Caen (France), and Ypres (Belgium).

*As of February 1, 2019, exhibitions have been held in 49 cities in 19 countries.

A-bomb exhibitions in Japan 

In order to communicate the reality of the atomic bombing and raise public opinion in support of nuclear abolition, since 1996 we have held A-bomb exhibitions comprised of artifacts, photo panels, and hibakusha testimonies in Japan one to five times a year.
*As of February 1, 2019, exhibitions have been held in 66 cities in 44 prefectures.

Lending and providing materials for A-bomb exhibitions and peace studies in Japan and abroad

We lend and provide materials including A-bomb photo posters/panels and documentary films to communicate the A-bomb damage and to raise awareness of peace both in and outside of Japan.

●Peace Education （Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum website）＜外部リンク＞

Kids’ Peace Camp 

We provide opportunities for elementary and junior high school students to learn about the atomic bombing and preciousness of peace, thus raising their awareness of peace.

Peace Club

For the purpose of developing human resources to promote peace, we provide opportunities for junior and senior high school students to learn about the atomic bombing and to develop their ability to work for peace through lectures, practical training, workshops, and exchange activities with youths from other cities.

Dispatching high school students to NPT Review Conferences and its Preparatory Committees

In order to nurture future leaders who would contribute to the abolition of nuclear weapons and the realization of world peace, we dispatch high school students, who are engaged in a petition drive calling for the conclusion of a Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, to the Preparatory Committees of the 2020 NPT Review Conference. At the conference, they communicate the message of Hiroshima and appeal for peace.

Hiroshima Peace Forum

We provide opportunities for young people 18 and older who reside in or commute to Hiroshima to contemplate the atomic bombing and peace and explore how they can contribute to the cause of peace through lectures and discussions among participants.

Establishing and promoting the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Study Course

We call upon colleges and universities both in and outside of Japan to offer a Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Study Course＜外部リンク＞ to convey A-bomb experiences to younger generations on an academic level. We also support interested schools by sending lecturers and providing materials. 

*As of February 1, 2019, the courses have been established at 74 universities (50 in Japan, 24 overseas). 

Peace information on the Internet

We disseminate information regarding the atomic bombing and peace on the website of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum ＜外部リンク＞in order to foster international public opinion for the abolition of nuclear weapons and the realization of world peace.

●Peace Database＜外部リンク＞

International Symposium for Peace

Every year we hold the International Symposium for Peace with the participation of nuclear issues experts in Hiroshima or Nagasaki alternatively in order to raise citizens’ awareness for peace. In FY 2018, a symposium was held in Hiroshima. 

(2) Promoting “Peace through Welcoming Visitors”  

In order to realize nuclear weapons abolition and lasting world peace, it is necessary to have more people come to Hiroshima, including policymakers from nuclear powers, to understand the reality of the atomic bombing, share the experience and wishes for peace of our hibakusha, and strive with renewed determination for the realization of nuclear abolition. For this purpose, we are working to hold the NPT Review Conference and other international conferences in Hiroshima, drawing policymakers from various countries here to discuss nuclear weapons abolition.  

In April 2014, we hosted a ministerial meeting of the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI) with the participation of foreign ministers from 12 non-nuclear countries, including Japan. In April 2016, we hosted the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting which was held prior to the G7 Ise-Shima Summit Meeting, and on May 27, President Obama visited Hiroshima as the first sitting US President to do so. In November 2017, the 1st meeting of the Group of Eminent Persons for Substantive Advancement of Nuclear Disarmament and the UN Conference on Disarmament Issues were held. Furthermore, we promote a variety of measures including the creation of a mechanism which ensures that our hibakusha’s experiences and wishes for peace will be fully passed on to future generations, the improvement of a support system for hibakusha to recount their stories, the collection and utilization of A-bomb related materials, and the preservation and maintenance of memorial facilities such as the A-bomb Dome.

 

A. Measures to Have Visitors Share Hiroshima’s Desire for Peace　

U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to Hiroshima

On May 27, 2016, President Barack Obama of the United States became the first sitting U.S. President to visit Hiroshima. He visited the Peace Memorial Museum and laid flowers before the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims. He also reaffirmed his commitment to work for the abolition of nuclear weapons, stating in his speech, “…among those nations like my own that hold nuclear stockpiles, we must have the courage to escape the logic of fear and pursue a world without them.”

G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Hiroshima

The G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting is one of the G7 Summit-related ministerial meetings, where foreign ministers reflect the latest trends in international politics. Outcomes of this meeting serve as a foundation for the following Summit. In 2016, Hiroshima hosted the Foreign Ministers' Meeting on April 10 and 11, prior to the G7 Ise-Shima Summit in May. We believe that the foreign ministers shared in our wishes for peace through visiting the Peace Memorial Museum and offering flowers at the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims.

Hosting the United Nations Conference on Disarmament Issues

In November, 2017, we hosted the 27th UN Conference on Disarmament Issues, where government officials from nuclear powers and countries which promote the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and experts on disarmament issues, among others, discussed disarmament from various positions. Prior to the conference, we also hosted the 1st meeting of the Group of Eminent Persons for Substantive Advancement of Nuclear Disarmament which was organized by the Japanese government.

Promoting the “Hiroshima for Global Peace” Plan

In cooperation with the Hiroshima Prefectural Government, the City of Hiroshima carries out supporting projects for the “Hiroshima for Global Peace” Plan＜外部リンク＞, which the prefectural government compiled to achieve lasting world peace.

Hosting UN Disarmament Fellows

Since 1983, we have been hosting participants of the UN Program of Fellowship on Disarmament, a program to educate diplomats to become disarmament specialists. Hiroshima provides them with an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the damage wrought by the atomic bombing.
  

Training for domestic journalists

We have a training program targeting mainly journalists for local papers. The program comprehensively and systematically covers topics such as A-bomb damage, challenges for Hiroshima as an A-bombed city, and the current global situation regarding nuclear weapons. The participants widely publish articles and editorials about A-bomb topics. 

Mayors for Peace internship program

We invite young officials from overseas member cities to work at the Mayors for Peace Secretariat in Hiroshima. It is expected that interns will assist international outreach efforts by the secretariat, and after returning home, will expand the scope of their cities’ activities toward the elimination of nuclear weapons.

 “Peace and Exchange” youth support program

We provide the youth from Mayors for Peace member cities both in and outside Japan with opportunities to visit Hiroshima for peace-related experiences and exchange activities. Through this program we aim to cultivate human resources conducive to a peaceful world free of nuclear weapons as well as to build a stronger network among member cities.

Training session in Hiroshima for United Nations tour guides 

We invite tour guides and concerned officials from United Nations facilities which house permanent A-bomb exhibitions for a training session to learn about the reality of the atomic bombing.

Children’s Peace Assembly

We hold the Children’s Peace Assembly for both local children and those visiting Hiroshima to attend the Peace Memorial Ceremony on August 6, providing an occasion for them to send out a message of peace. Through this effort, we aim to encourage peace consciousness among young people and inspire them to take independent-minded action.

 

B. Measures to Properly Pass on the Reality of the Atomic Bombing to Future Generations

Training official A-bomb Legacy Successors

Because of the advanced age of our hibakusha, we have a program to train interested individuals as official successors who inherit and communicate the hibakusha’s experience and desire for peace. Currently, 118 people who have completed a 3-year program are certified and act as A-bomb Legacy Successors. 

Year	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018
No. of Applicants	137	68	44	69	47	47	72

Offering A-bomb Legacy Successor lectures

We offer lectures from A-bomb Legacy Successors ＜外部リンク＞in English and Japanese without reservation or charge at the Peace Memorial Museum. 

Renovation of the Peace Memorial Museum

The Main Building of the Peace Memorial Museum ＜外部リンク＞opened on August 24, 1955 and receives more than one million visitors from both Japan and abroad every year. The Main Building, which was designated as one of the National Important Cultural Assets of Japan, has been undergoing quake-resistance improvement and other repair work. At the same time, a total renewal of the exhibition and alterations to the visitor route are now in progress in order to showcase the actual damage wrought by the A-bombing and the inhumanity of nuclear weapons in a more easy-to-understand manner. The East Building re-opened in April 2017 and the Main Building is slated to open on April 25, 2019. 

*In FY 2017, a total of 1,680,923 (321,938 school trip students, 392,667 non-Japanese) visited the museum. 

Preserving A-bombed buildings and structures for future generations

We are working to raise citizens’ awareness about the importance of the A-bombed buildings and other structures remaining in the city today to preserve and utilize them as precious reminders of the bombing. We also grant subsidies for private sector preservation projects.

 *As of February 1, 85 A-bombed buildings, 6 A-bombed bridges, and 161 A-bombed trees have been registered.

Touring A-bombed buildings and trees

We offer a guided tour to visit A-bombed buildings and trees with experts to learn about the reality of the atomic bombing.

 A-bombed trees monitoring program

We work with a tree doctor who monitors the conditions of A-bombed trees and makes their medical charts, and provides invigorating treatments for the trees.

Improving preservation measures for a collection of materials at Peace Memorial Museum

Deterioration checks and necessary treatments are being implemented for the photos, the conditions of which are most serious concern among the collection of the materials stored at the Peace Memorial Museum, as well as for the A-bomb artifacts that are to be displayed at the Main Building. The conditions of the museum’s storage and exhibition rooms are being examined for improvement.

Collecting A-bomb artifacts

With the aim of enriching exhibition contents at the Peace Memorial Museum, we conduct surveys on and collect A-bomb artifacts owned by survivors and bereaved families, photographs and other materials owned by museums and libraries overseas as well as documents and information related to the history of the museum. In conjunction with A-bomb exhibitions, we visit museums and other related facilities located in the area in order to discuss and coordinate future cooperation in carrying out reciprocal exhibitions and other joint initiatives.

Recording and utilizing videotapes of hibakusha testimonies

We record hibakusha testimonies ＜外部リンク＞on videotape to preserve and show them to future generations. The videotapes are available for viewing at the Peace Memorial Museum and also lent out for peace education.
 
  Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims＜外部リンク＞
   

Peace Memorial Museum special exhibition at the former Bank of Japan Hiroshima Branch, etc.

We implement the following initiatives at various locations besides the Peace Memorial Museum to share the hibakusha’s experience and wish for peace with as many people as possible through the opportunity to understand the reality of the atomic bombing.

- Holding Peace Memorial Museum special exhibitions at the former Bank of Japan Hiroshima Branch
- Distributing maps which show the locations of peace-related facilities around the city center
  ●Guide Map for A-bombed Buildings and Trees
- Introducing peace-related facilities on the city’s website, "Hiroshima Map Navi＜外部リンク＞"

Hiroshima Peace Volunteer Program

We have a citizens’ volunteer program to encourage residents to get involved in passing down the A-bomb legacy. Publicly-recruited volunteers offer explanations about the exhibition at the Peace Memorial Museum and the monuments in the Peace Memorial Park.
Hiroshima Peace Volunteers ＜外部リンク＞

*As of February1, 2019, 210 volunteers are in service.

Supporting volunteer staff at Peace Memorial Museum

We systematically provide integrated and continuous training to volunteers who are involved in programs offered at the Peace Memorial Museum in order to ensure that correct information regarding the reality of the atomic bombing is effectively conveyed to visitors.

Sharing hibakusha testimonies with students visiting Hiroshima

In order to communicate the reality of the A-bombing and to raise awareness of peace, we provide students visiting Hiroshima on school trips with an opportunity to listen to hibakusha testimonies and/or A-bomb Legacy Successor talks and watch A-bomb documentary films.  
In FY 2017, we provided hibakusha testimonies to 154,436 people for 2,051 groups, and A-bomb Legacy Successor talks to 22,668 people for 303 groups.

●Peace Education （Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum website）＜外部リンク＞

Providing hibakusha testimonies to audiences abroad through video conferences

We arrange hibakusha testimonies through live video conferences to communicate the reality of the A-bombing to people overseas and to raise international public support for nuclear weapons abolition.

Peace-study workshops

We offer peace-study workshops taught by lecturers to assist in peace education at elementary, junior high, and high schools among others.

Creation of Peace Memorial Museum Workbooks 

We offer workbooks for students visiting Hiroshima on school trips to help them understand the reality of the atomic bombing more effectively and encourage their voluntary peace activities during their visits to the Peace Memorial Museum. The workbooks also serve as a tool to attract more visitors, especially through school trips.

Peace Mail Program with post cards made from recycled paper cranes

We provide visitors to the Peace Memorial Museum with post cards made from recycled paper cranes to encourage them to write down their feelings after touring the museum and to mail the cards using the mail box located at the museum.

Tax deductible donation system

We present a book about the Peace Memorial Museum and other gifts to the people who make donation to our peace-related projects so that they will play a role to convey and spread the reality of the atomic bombing. (Only applicable to individual donors who reside in Japanese cities except for Hiroshima City.)

 

C. Raising Awareness about Peace　      

Honoring and transforming wishes for peace folded into paper cranes

In order to expand the circle of people calling for a peaceful world free of nuclear weapons, we hope to widely share wishes for peace folded into paper cranes offered from both Japan and abroad at the Children’s Peace Monument in the Peace Memorial Park. To achieve this goal, we implement initiatives to honor and transform these wishes by recycling paper cranes in meaningful ways since FY 2012.
Efforts to transform and honor the paper cranes

  

(3) Other Efforts

Promoting peace culture

Every two years since 1985, we have hosted the Hiroshima International Animation Festival ＜外部リンク＞to promote peace culture, which combines wishes for peace with art culture. We also hold an Evening of Peace Concert every year in August to offer condolences to the A-bomb victims and call for lasting world peace.

Promoting international cooperation and contributions

We carry out international cooperation projects to help resolve urban problems in Asia and other regions using interest from the Hiroshima International Cooperation Fund, which was established on the 50th anniversary of the atomic bombing. In addition, through the Hiroshima International Council for Health Care of the Radiation-exposed (HICARE)＜外部リンク＞, we seek to make good use of our unique knowledge in treating A-bomb survivors and our research results on radiation damage to help radiation-exposed patients around the world.

Supporting training projects of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)

We provide support for workshops about nuclear non-proliferation and other issues organized by the UNITAR Hiroshima Office＜外部リンク＞.

 

 Establishing the Hiroshima Peace Institute

We established the Hiroshima Peace Institute ＜外部リンク＞in 1998 as a research unit of Hiroshima City University. As an international peace research center to contribute to the realization of world peace and regional development, the institute explores ways to eliminate nuclear weapons by engaging in academic research activities and seeks to help solve regional problems.

 

3　Major Activities

Month/Year	Activities
August 1947	First Peace Declaration delivered at the first Peace Memorial Ceremony
August 1949	Hiroshima Peace Memorial City Construction Law promulgated and enacted
August 1952	Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims (Memorial Monument for Hiroshima, City of Peace) unveiled
August 1955	Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum opens
March 1957	A-bomb Survivors Medical Law passed (effective April 1)
July 1966	Resolution to preserve the Atomic Bomb Dome adopted by City Council
August 1967	First preservation work on the A-bomb Dome finishes (Second time in March 1990, third time in March 2003, fourth time in July 2016)
May 1968	A-bomb Survivors Special Measures Law passed (effective September 1)
September 1968	First protest letter against nuclear testing sent
April 1976	Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation established
September 1983	Permanent A-bomb exhibition unveiled at the UN headquarters in New York
July 1985	Resolution declaring Hiroshima a “Peace City for Nuclear Weapons Abolition” adopted by City Council
August 1985	First General Conference of the World Conference of Mayors for Peace through Inter-city Solidarity held (held once every four years thereafter. In August 2001, the organization renamed “Mayors for Peace”)
August 1986	Peace Summit in Hiroshima held (International Peace Symposium held annually thereafter)
June 1992	UN Conference on Disarmament Issues in Hiroshima held (also held in 1994, 1996, 2015 and 2017)
May 1993	A-bombed Buildings Preservation and Inheritance Project starts
December 1994	Law Pertaining to the Support of the A-bomb Survivors passed (effective July 1)
July 1995	A-bomb exhibition held at American University in the US (held in and outside of Japan every year thereafter)
December 1996	A-bomb Dome designated as a World Heritage site
April 1998	Hiroshima Peace Institute established at Hiroshima City University
November 2003	2020 Vision Campaign launched by Mayors for Peace
May 2005	Call for nuclear weapons abolition by 2020 made by mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the NPT Review Conference
July 2006	Peace Memorial Museum Main Building designated National Important Cultural Asset
November 2011	Permanent A-bomb exhibition unveiled at the UN Office at Geneva
January 2012	First Japanese Member Cities Meeting of Mayors for Peace held
April 2012	Policies Regarding the Transformation and Honoring of the Paper Cranes put into action
July 2012	Training program for official A-bomb Legacy Successors initiated (Their activities started In April 2015)
April 2014	Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI) 8th Ministerial Meeting held in Hiroshima
August 2015	Meeting of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) Group of Eminent Persons (GEM) held
November 2015	Permanent A-bomb exhibition unveiled at the UN Office at Vienna
April 2016	G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Hiroshima held
May 2016	US President Barack Obama visits Hiroshima
November 2017	First meeting of Group of Eminent Persons for Substantive Advancement of Nuclear Disarmament held

Inquiries about this page

Peace Promotion Division, Citizens Affairs Bureau
Tel：81-82-242-7831 /  FAX：81-82-242-7452
E-mail：peace@city.hiroshima.lg.jp