Photo/Illutration Doves are released at the peace memorial ceremony held in Nagasaki on Aug. 9. (Pool)

In his speeches at the memorial ceremonies held in Hiroshima on Aug. 6 and Nagasaki on Aug. 9, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba quoted from individuals with long ties to the respective cities.

He used a tanka poem by Shinoe Shoda, a Hiroshima resident, who wrote many such works about the effects of the atomic bombing of her city.

In Nagasaki, Ishiba quoted the words of Takashi Nagai, a Catholic doctor, who continued to care for others even after surviving the atomic bombing.

But regarding the path toward abolishing nuclear weapons, Ishiba only referred to efforts made by his predecessors and said Japan, as the only nation to have an atomic bomb dropped on it during war, would lead the international community in its efforts to eliminate such weapons.

Atomic bomb survivors and others in the two cities have an unprecedentedly strong sense of crisis because Russia has repeatedly threatened the use of nuclear weapons and the United States also has moved toward modernizing its nuclear arsenal.

Ishiba has not touched upon his past call to share with the United States in the handling of its nuclear weapons since becoming prime minister and even stressed in his speeches at the memorial ceremonies that he would maintain Japan’s three non-nuclear principles.

However, there was understandable disappointment and dissatisfaction directed toward the prime minister.

The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which includes both nuclear and non-nuclear powers, has reached a dead end.

The mayors and hibakusha organizations of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have called on Japan to sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which came into existence through the initiative of non-nuclear nations.

The treaty’s wide ban on producing, possessing and using nuclear weapons is believed to be a path toward abolishing such weapons.

But like his predecessors, Ishiba did not refer to the TPNW in his memorial ceremony speeches.

Japan is protected by the nuclear umbrella of the United States and the increasingly severe international situation might make it difficult for Japan to become a member nation of the TPNW.

But it should be possible for Japan to take part as an observer nation in the treaty’s meeting of state parties.

The Liberal Democratic Party's junior coalition partner, Komeito, and many opposition parties have called for such participation.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has become prolonged and Israel continues its attack on Gaza.

Asking nuclear powers that continue to use force to attend the peace ceremonies might be considered confirmation of their violations of international law or it could allow for making an anti-war appeal while such nations are present at the ceremony.

The Nagasaki city government in 2024 did not invite Israel to its ceremony because of concerns about possible disruption of the event. But that led to criticism from the United States, Britain and other nations, which refused to send their ambassadors to the Nagasaki ceremony.

This year, both Hiroshima and Nagasaki called for a wider range of nations to participate in the ceremonies.

But Hiroshima changed its past “invitation” to a “notification” for this year’s event, while Nagasaki maintained its invitation wording.

Although a record number of nations and regions participated in this year’s Hiroshima ceremony, the response of nations in the spotlight was scattered.

Israel and Palestine attended both ceremonies, but Russia was not present at Hiroshima and Ukraine sat out the Nagasaki ceremony.

In his peace declaration, Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki said, “Immediately cease from disputes in which ‘force is met with force.’”

That sentiment is likely shared by Hiroshima as well.

There is a need to seek a way to transmit that message in a wider, but steady manner.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Aug. 10

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