President Obama, who made a famous speech at Praha, hoping for a nuclear-free world shortly after his inauguration in April 2009, is coming to Hiroshima on 27 May, on his way home from the Summit meeting at a different part of Japan, it was announced on 10. This is going to be the first as an incumbent US President. That should by itself be meaningful. First an American Ambassador to Japan, followed by other high officials, and finally Secretary John Kelly earlier this year, visited the city so far. The US must have admitted that now the ground has been prepared for the Presidential one.
Everyone in Japan would hope that he would visit Nagasaki city also. What is more important is what he is coming for even if it is only Hiroshima. Is it only symbolic in some sense, as a State Department spokesperson said? Of course some may think that the visit itself is an expression of an apology. But I would not deem a visit itself as an apology. I strongly feel that if Obama comes empty-handed, so to speak, if his visit simply contributes to the status quo of the global nuclear weapons situation, it will make more harm than no visit at all.
If Obama wants to be true to his Praha speech, made in the full view of the whole world, he must say something at Hiroshima which is reflective on the past, or would make the humanity more hopeful for the future. For one thing he may well express regret on the dropping of the bombs. After all the US has been the only user of these weapons so far. Many Americans also, mostly at the numerous experiments, have suffered. Gandhi of India expressed the opinion that not only the soul of the Japanese was destroyed, but of those who dropped the bombs could be brought into question. Only if and when Obama expresses his regret on the past, he may show himself to be negative on the further use of these weapons. Only then he can give a message for the future.
For another, his message should be such that it will contribute to nuclear disarmament in the world. As far as Japan-US relations are concerned, there is a secret agreement that in case of emergency the US can bring nuclear weapons into Okinawa. It has been in place since 1969 when it was signed by the US President and the Japanese Prime Minister. Obama can cancel it in his discretion. By doing so he may disown the theory of nuclear deterrence which provides a theoretical ground for all the nuclear powers for their nuclear armament.
At the same time, we in Japan must be aware that Obama's Hiroshima visit will also be an opportunity to think why that war was started. If we had not done so, or even if we had ended the war a little earlier, the bombs would not have been used at all. We should watch how the Asian peoples would react to Obama's message.
Finally let us look at DPRK(North Korea). By the 7th Labour Party Congress which ended on 9 May, they have put up a slogan of "parallel development" of nuclearization and industrialization. Is there no room for a dialogue any more? I do not think so. But the preparation for nuclear disarmament on the part of the US is a vital precondition. It will greatly ease the tension in the Northeastern Asia.
Everyone in Japan would hope that he would visit Nagasaki city also. What is more important is what he is coming for even if it is only Hiroshima. Is it only symbolic in some sense, as a State Department spokesperson said? Of course some may think that the visit itself is an expression of an apology. But I would not deem a visit itself as an apology. I strongly feel that if Obama comes empty-handed, so to speak, if his visit simply contributes to the status quo of the global nuclear weapons situation, it will make more harm than no visit at all.
If Obama wants to be true to his Praha speech, made in the full view of the whole world, he must say something at Hiroshima which is reflective on the past, or would make the humanity more hopeful for the future. For one thing he may well express regret on the dropping of the bombs. After all the US has been the only user of these weapons so far. Many Americans also, mostly at the numerous experiments, have suffered. Gandhi of India expressed the opinion that not only the soul of the Japanese was destroyed, but of those who dropped the bombs could be brought into question. Only if and when Obama expresses his regret on the past, he may show himself to be negative on the further use of these weapons. Only then he can give a message for the future.
For another, his message should be such that it will contribute to nuclear disarmament in the world. As far as Japan-US relations are concerned, there is a secret agreement that in case of emergency the US can bring nuclear weapons into Okinawa. It has been in place since 1969 when it was signed by the US President and the Japanese Prime Minister. Obama can cancel it in his discretion. By doing so he may disown the theory of nuclear deterrence which provides a theoretical ground for all the nuclear powers for their nuclear armament.
At the same time, we in Japan must be aware that Obama's Hiroshima visit will also be an opportunity to think why that war was started. If we had not done so, or even if we had ended the war a little earlier, the bombs would not have been used at all. We should watch how the Asian peoples would react to Obama's message.
Finally let us look at DPRK(North Korea). By the 7th Labour Party Congress which ended on 9 May, they have put up a slogan of "parallel development" of nuclearization and industrialization. Is there no room for a dialogue any more? I do not think so. But the preparation for nuclear disarmament on the part of the US is a vital precondition. It will greatly ease the tension in the Northeastern Asia.
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