Groups Urge Hiroshima Government to Reconsider Pact with US Counterparts

Survivors of the Hiroshima atomic bombing have expressed outrage over a newly signed agreement that connects the city’s Peace Memorial Park with the Pearl Harbor National Memorial in Hawaii. The partnership, formalized this week by the US ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, and Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui, aims to foster peace and friendship between the nations that once fought in the Pacific War.

The agreement, referred to as a sister-park initiative, seeks to encourage reconciliation and promote mutual understanding by sharing knowledge on historic preservation, youth education, and tourism. Emanuel, during the signing at the US Embassy in Tokyo, remarked that visiting both sites could change a person’s perspective, saying, “Nobody can go to Pearl Harbor, and nobody can go to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and exit unchanged.”

However, the move has sparked criticism, with survivors of the 1945 bombing calling the pact disrespectful. They believe it diminishes the gravity of Hiroshima’s history. Meanwhile, with the 80th anniversary of the bombing approaching, these survivors are calling on G7 leaders to take a strong stance against the use of nuclear weapons when they meet in Hiroshima later this month.

The agreement is seen by some as a symbolic attempt to show that humanity can learn from its mistakes, reconcile, and work towards a peaceful future, according to Matsui. But the controversy has prompted several groups to write to the Hiroshima city government, urging them not to sign the agreement.