That Tragic Day — Never Again.Something to Remember for the G7 Hiroshima SummitHiroshima for Global Peace

That Tragic Day — Never Again.Something to Remember for the G7 Hiroshima Summit

　The G7 Hiroshima Summit will take place on May 19 to May 21, 2023, in Hiroshima, a city once ravaged by the atomic bomb. Hiroshima Television Broadcasting Corporation is currently running the “Never Forget — G7@HIROSHIMA” campaign, driven by the slogan, “Never Forget.” Let us hear more from Nagashima Kiyotaka, the organizer of this campaign and head of the Announcement Department of the News Production Bureau of Hiroshima Television Broadcasting Corporation, about the thoughts behind this slogan and the message he wants to convey on this occasion. It feels like Nagashima’s follow-up to the words “Never Forget” will be along the lines of “for the future.”

Nagashima Kiyotaka, head of the Announcement Department of the News Production Bureau of Hiroshima Television Corporation

　At 8:15 on August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Even after 77 years have passed, some still suffer from radiation-related disabilities, and some still find it painful to recall the horrors of that time and the hardships during the war. The victims we interviewed voiced not so much resentment or hatred toward the war but rather wished that such horrific and disgusting weapons should not be used or even exist. We have had decreasing opportunities to hear the survivors’ stories in person as they continue to get older and older. I believe we must always remember the atomic bombings, including the stories of the victims and their feelings at the time. It also serves as a reminder to myself.

I think the G7 Hiroshima Summit is the first G7 in history where the event location itself has such great significance. This event is a great opportunity to convey the thoughts and feelings of Hiroshima to the rest of Japan and the world. Therefore, we will take full advantage of this opportunity to tell the world to “never forget.”

　The campaign has three main initiatives: broadcasting, distribution, and origami cranes.

As part of our broadcasting initiative, we invited journalist Ikegami Akira and NTV announcer Fujii Takahiko to our studio in Hiroshima for a special program on November 19, six months before the G7 Hiroshima Summit. In our major project, “Interview with Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Ikegami Akira,” we asked about the significance of holding the summit in Hiroshima and the focal point, the invasion of Ukraine. We also plan to broadcast a program on February 11, about 100 days before the event, featuring Ikegami’s commentary on international affairs and other matters. Ikegami worked at the Kure News Agency in Kure during his NHK days and covered the second-generation atomic bomb survivors.

Interview with Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Ikegami Akira Complete Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWMOMrV7NxM&t=7s

　Our evening TV program “TV-ha” has a section called “Motenashi G7” featuring information on Hiroshima that can act as hints for welcoming and entertaining (omotenashi) the countries participating in the G7. It is an effort to enhance the atmosphere and momentum of Hiroshima’s hospitality as a whole.

　We also broadcast a G7 feature program every Friday at 6:00 p.m., which I handle. It features the expectations of the atomic bomb victims for the Hiroshima Summit and goes head-on into issues such as the global situation surrounding nuclear weapons and the gap between the wishes of Hiroshima and the reality seen at the NPT Review conference. By discovering and re-learning just how much damage can nuclear weapons and atomic bombs cause together with our viewers, we continue to spread our message to the world.

　Our second initiative (distribution) distributes peace-related documentaries produced by Hiroshima Television over the past 60 years since its founding to transmit our message to the rest of Japan and the world. Aside from the Japanese version, we also made an English version so people overseas can learn about nuclear weapons in depth.

　Under the title, “Mou Hitotsu no Shiten (Another Perspective)”, we distribute commentaries of Arthur Binard, an American poet and writer based in Hiroshima, on peace-related documentaries. It is Hiroshima’s unique message to the world leaders at G7.

Documentary: Message from the Pope – Never again war – Hiroshima Video

　Our third major initiative is origami cranes. We are inviting citizens and celebrities worldwide to make origami cranes to give form to Hiroshima’s wish.

The origami crane folded by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida

　The origami crane made by Prime Minister Kishida Fumio contained the written message, “Let the momentum for a world without nuclear weapons begin again in Hiroshima.” He strongly hopes to make the G7 Hiroshima Summit an opportunity to rekindle momentum for nuclear abolition, which has waned due to the invasion of Ukraine and other factors. We are also distributing videos of how to make origami cranes, as well as Hiroshima governor Yuzaki Hidehiko and Okinawa governor Tamaki Denny folding them. We also set up a box for gathering origami cranes in the lobby of the first floor of the Hiroshima TV headquarters. We hope you will drop in your messages there.

　We are still considering how to utilize the gathered origami cranes and are thinking of ways to attract the attention of the G7 heads, for example, by using them as wall art to send a message of peace.

Origami crane box in the 1^{^st}-floor lobby of Hiroshima TV headquarters

　We believe that having the world leaders at the G7 Hiroshima Summit see and hear firsthand what happened in Hiroshima is the first step toward a nuclear-free world. We hope this will go beyond being just a slogan and turn into an opportunity to think about what we can do and start to truly create a world without nuclear weapons.

　Aside from conveying the fact that world leaders have come to Hiroshima, we will also appeal to people’s emotions through motifs such as origami cranes, which symbolize Hiroshima’s message.