Kishida seeks visit to A-bomb museum by G7 leaders

The Yomiuri Shimbun

20:00 JST, June 10, 2022

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has indicated his intention to consider arranging a visit of the leaders of the Group of Seven countries to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and a meeting with victims of the atomic bombings at an upcoming G7 summit to be hosted by Hiroshima next year.

Kishida met Thursday with Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui and Hiroshima Gov. Hidehiko Yuzaki at the Prime Minister’s Office to affirm their cooperation in making the meeting a success. Kishida shared his intention for a visit to the museum during this meeting with the Hiroshima leaders, Matsui told reporters later on the day.

Matsui told Kishida that it was important for G7 leaders to become aware of the reality of the atomic bombings, and urged the prime minister to realize the leaders’ visit to the museum, which exhibits belongings left by the victims, artifacts that survived the bombings, survivors testimonies and other materials.

Kishida is said to have told those in attendance that “It will require some arrangements with each country, but I want to see what we can do.”

Matsui told reporters that Kishida also said, “It is important to come up with specific actions through discussions of peace in Hiroshima, especially amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and nuclear threats.”