This is the 74th year since the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. Every August, co-ops across Japan hold various peace-related events such as peace parades and lectures. These are collectively called “Peace Action”.

JCCU organizes “Peace Action” in Hiroshima and Nagasaki jointly with the Consumers Co-operative Unions in the two prefectures every year. This year, a total of 3,750 people participated in the two events, making it the largest event ever. In addition, the mayors of the two cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, showed up on stage at both events, the first time this has happened since the peace action began.

Mayors of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki on stage at "Peace Action in Hiroshima"

"Peace Action in Hiroshima"

“2019 Peace Action in Hiroshima” was held for 3 days from August 4 to 6, 2019, with a total of 2,600 participants from 80 consumer co-ops nationwide. This year's theme was "Inheriting the heart of Hiroshima by the next generation - Let's know, feel and begin to move".

On August 5, the stage event “Hiroshima Niji-no Hiroba (Rainbow stage)” was held. On behalf of the organizer, FUJII Yoshitsugu, Managing Director, JCCU, gave a speech and stated: “In order to realize a world without nuclear weapons, it is very important to adopt a consensus document at the 2020 NPT Review Conference and to make the nuclear weapons ban treaty come into force early. It’s also important to boost public opinions in both Japan and abroad.”

Subsequently, there was a lecture by Mr. FUJIMORI Toshiki, Assistant Secretary-General, Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations. In addition, various presentations by children and students in the city, such as playing a flute using materials from the A-bombed trees in the city, exhibiting pictures based on the testimony of survivors, and experiencing VR in Hiroshima at the time of the A-bombing were made.

The event was concluded with the announcement of appeals adopted at the Children’s Peace Conference in Hiroshima 2019 held in the morning of the same day, and a peace song by the choir of the “Niji no Hiroba Chorus”.

Announcement of appeals by “Children’s Peace Conference in Hiroshima 2019”

Fifteen subcommittees were held during the period from August 4 to 6. In addition to the usual annual program of listening to the testimonies of A-bomb survivors, tour of the memorial monument, and the Children's Peace Conference in Hiroshima 2019, subcommittes under the theme "inheritance" were held. One of them was a learning session by Prof. WATANABE Hidenori, the University of Tokyo under the theme “a brand new way of inheritance using digital archives".

(Left) Tour of the memorial monument / (Right) “The Children's Peace Conference in Hiroshima 2019”

"Peace Action in Nagasaki"

“2019 Peace Action in Nagasaki” was held for two days from August 7 to 8, 2019, with a total of 1,150 participants from 52 consumer co-ops nationwide. This year's theme was "A peaceful future free of wars and nuclear weapons -inheriting the thoughts of Nagasaki and Hibakusha and spreading them to Japan and the world".

On the afternoon of August 8, a stage event “Nagasaki Niji-no Hiroba (Rainbow stage)” was held. On behalf of the organizers, HONDA Eiichi, President of JCCU greeted the audience and stated, “To inherit the thoughts of the A-bomb survivors is a really big and important issue”.

In addition, Mr. TAUE Tomihisa, the mayor of Nagasaki gave a presentation and mentioned that, “The discussion of nuclear weapons is not a special story or a past story of Hiroshima and Nagasaki alone. I want you to feel that it is linked to your future and life”. He later introduced Mr. MATSUI Kazumi, the mayor of Hiroshima referring to him as his family like friend. Mr. MATSUI added his voice by saying, “The A-bomb survivors have continued their activities with a desire that no one else in the world should ever have to experience the same tragedy. I would like to ask the younger generation to support their activities.”

At the event, Ms. NAKAMURA Keiko, Associate Professor, Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition (RECNA) gave a keynote speech, followed by various performances and presentations by children and students in the city and greetings to the audience by Mr. TANAKA Shigemitsu, President of Nagasaki Disaster Association. The event was concluded with the announcement of appeals adopted at the Children’s Peace Conference in Nagasaki 2019 followed by peace song by the choir of the “Hibakusha Singing Group, Himawari”.

During the period from August 7 to 8, 10 subcommittees were held.