Governor Koike says, ‘It is our important mission to pass on the memories of war and the atomic bombings to future generations’

On July 27, Governor Koike attended a memorial service for A-bomb victims held in Tokyo and said, “It is our important mission to pass on the memories of war and the atomic bombings to future generations.” 

“On behalf of the citizens of Tokyo, I express my sincere condolences to the souls of those who were victimized by the atomic bombs,” the governor said at the annual service, hosted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and held at Techno Plaza Katsushika, in Katsushika City.

The governor noted that this summer will mark the 80th anniversary since the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. She also said that the atomic bombings reduced towns to ashes while claiming an estimated 200,000 precious lives.

“Even those A-bomb survivors who lost their beloved families and were deprived of the foundation of their daily lives have lived days of inconceivable sufferings while they have been beset with aftereffects and health concerns,” she pointed out.

“As the years passed, most people in Japan today are those who have never experienced war. However, the current state of peace and prosperity of this country was built upon those precious lives lost to the atomic bombings and the dedication of hibakusha—the A-bomb survivors—and bereaved families of the victims,” she said.

“Therefore, it is our important mission to pass on the memories of war and the atomic bombings to future generations,” the governor said with emphasis.

“Currently, there are approximately 3,300 hibakusha living in Tokyo. The members of TOYUKAI—the Tokyo Federation of A-Bomb Sufferers Organizations—who are in attendance today have been engaged for many years in heartfelt and painstakingly worked-out activities to support hibakusha and their families. They have also been energetically involved in activities to share their testimonies regarding the atomic blasts. I would like to express my deep respect and gratitude to you,” she said.

“Although aggressions into other countries, regional conflicts, and terrorism have occurred repeatedly amid an increasingly harsh security environment, I sincerely wish that an understanding of the international community of the preciousness of peace and the horrors of the atomic bombing will deepen further,” the governor appealed.

“The Tokyo Metropolitan Government will pledge to do our utmost by working hand in hand with you so that we can pass on a society where everyone can live a life with no worries but full of dreams and hope to the children who will lead the generations to come,” she said.