OCHI Ayumu

Doshisha University

Introduction/Enthusiasm for the Peace Caravan

At Doshisha University, I have been studying Education, with a particular focus on Environmental Education. Notably, in our seminar class, my peers and I engage in hands-on learning in a garden situated in the northern part of Kyoto City. Through these practical experiences, we gain valuable insights into the field of Environmental Education.

Given this background, I am particularly keen to discuss environmental issues in the UK and France. Both nations have taken progressive stances on these challenges, and I am eager to understand the attitudes of the youth towards these initiatives.

This programme aims to reaffirm the achievements of the G7 Hiroshima Summit 2023. Moreover, we intend to explore the contributions that the younger generation can make towards sustainability. To this end, we will be devising concrete action plans, both short-term and long-term.

KUROSE Harune

Hiroshima Global Academy

Introduction/Enthusiasm for the Peace Caravan

I have put a lot of effort into the study of music and science. I have been playing the piano since I was a child, and have studied how science and mathematics are used in the natural world around us and in our daily lives. In the future, I would like to study both physics and music at a university abroad and become a person who can create a better　future for “true” peace by using the power of music and scientific technology. In this program, I would like to learn what young people in other countries think about the G7 Hiroshima Summit and its outcomes, and to exchange opinions on issues which the world is facing. Also, as a learner in the peaceful city of Hiroshima, I look forward to discussing the history of wars, and nuclear deterrence and its limitations from various perspectives.

NIWATA Anju

Tokyo University

Introduction/Enthusiasm for the Peace Caravan

“Rebooting Memories.” Since 2017, when I met a former resident of the Nakajima District (where the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is currently located), I’ve been working on this activity; to colorize the black and white photos of daily lives before WW2, using AI colorization, the color of past personal belongings and “Color of Memory” that was revived through conversations with the war survivors.

I’ve interviewed more than 30 residents of the Nakajima District and hibakusha. With rich colors, the colorized photos bring life back to joyful memories. I realize that people who haven’t experienced WW2 can feel the connection between the past and present. It helps our imagination what was lost by the only atomic bombing.

Could G7 leaders have imagined not only the tragedy of war but also the people’s lives before the bombing, holding a moment of silence in this May? So grateful to give this wonderful opportunity to talk about my activity and communicate with youths beyond nations. I’d like to get the most out of it to inherit the thoughts and memories of war survivors and empathizing with them from the bottom of our heart.