A-bomb survivors ask the Japanese government to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

A-bomb survivors held a press conference on the 22nd before the "Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty," which bans the development and possession of nuclear weapons, came into effect, saying, "Japan, the country that was bombed, should take the lead in the abolition of nuclear weapons." I asked the Japanese government to join the treaty.

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which prohibits the development, possession, and use of nuclear weapons, will come into effect on the 22nd, while Japan and all nuclear-weapon states have not ratified it.

Prior to this, the A-bomb survivors held a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Association of Japan in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo.

Ms. Michiko Kodama (82), who was the deputy secretary general of the Japan Confederation of Atomic Bomb Victims and was bombed in Hiroshima at the age of 7, said, "I am not so happy that nuclear weapons have become illegal due to the entry into force of the treaty. It is a pity that the government of Japan, the only war-bombed country, has turned its back on the treaty. Japan is at the forefront of the abolition of nuclear weapons and is in a position to lead the world, so that it will join the treaty as soon as possible. I will ask. "

In addition, Seiko Wada (77), who was also the deputy secretary general of the Japan Confederation of Nations and was bombed in Nagasaki at the age of one, told the new President Biden of the United States, "Thinking about how inhumane the nuclear weapons that destroy everything are. Since former President Obama appealed for a "world without nuclear weapons," virtually nothing has progressed, and I want him to work toward peace not only in the United States but also in the world. "

In addition, Akira Kawasaki, an international NGO who attended the meeting, said, "The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons will be a force to promote nuclear disarmament politically, economically and socially. Within a few years. , I would like to promote activities so that the number of countries participating in the treaty reaches 100. "