An era will arrive when no survivors of the 1945 atomic bombing of Japan remain. Will the vitality that Hiroshima and Nagasaki have sustained in calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons endure into the distant future? That question haunted me throughout my 16 years as governor of Hiroshima Prefecture until last year.
In an opinion piece published by Kyodo News, the author—who once led Hiroshima Prefecture—emphasizes that relying solely on nuclear deterrence doctrine cannot be the path forward. He argues that the world needs to confront the unforeseen consequences of nuclear weapons realistically, rather than turning them into tools for maintaining a balance of power.
The piece raises a significant challenge: as the hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) dwindle in number due to age, the story of nuclear weapons' devastation risks being forgotten. From the perspective of someone who once headed the Hiroshima administration, the author calls for strongly sustaining the call for nuclear disarmament, transforming the pain of the past into momentum for a peaceful future.
The emphasized message is the necessity of shifting from deterrence thinking to dialogue and international cooperation, aiming toward a world free of nuclear weapons—a goal that Hiroshima and Nagasaki continue to pursue tirelessly.
