From August 4 to 5, 2026, the Hiroshima Consumers' Co-operative Union and JCCU jointly held "2026 Peace Action in Hiroshima." A total of approximately 2,700 people from across Japan participated, including online participants.

Peace Action is a unique initiative of Japanese consumer co-ops that provides opportunities to consider peace from diverse perspectives, addressing themes such as preserving and passing on the experiences of war and the atomic bombings to future generations, wars and conflicts around the world, issues related to military bases, and the Constitution of Japan. Every year,co-ops hold educational lectures and exchange events in Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Okinawa.

In Hiroshima, JCCU and its member co-ops began their peace activities in 1978, centered on "Niji-no Hiroba (Rainbow Stage)," a co-op gathering. This year marks the 49th year of these activities. This year's theme was "81 Years Since the Atomic Bombing: Toward a Peaceful World Without War or Nuclear Weapons--Passing On the Spirit of Hiroshima to Future Generations."

With a strong emphasis on passing the legacy of Hiroshima on to future generations, a total of 12 programs were held, including collaborative activities with young people and talks by those working to preserve and share memories of the atomic bombing.

＜Report on Peace Activities by Hiroshima High School Students＞
The High School Students' Peace Seminar and the Sotoku High School Newspaper Club presented reports on their activities.

The High School Students' Peace Seminar introduced its "Body Mapping" project, in which students use life-size paper outlines of the human body to depict, through drawings and words, the physical injuries and painful experiences of hibakusha (people affected by the atomic bombing). The students also reported on their signature campaigns. They shared what they had learned by moving beyond simply listening to survivors' testimonies and adopting a more active approach to peace education that encourages them to think for themselves.

The Sotoku High School Newspaper Club presented the process of producing its High School Students' Peace Newspaper. The students also explained the principles they keep in mind when creating the newspaper, including the importance of conveying not only the facts, but also the thoughts and feelings of the people they interview.

High school students reporting on their peace activities

＜Testimonies of Atomic Bomb Survivors＞
Mr. TANAKA Satoshi, Representative Director of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo), spoke about the realities of the atomic bombing. Mr. TANAKA was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in 1944 and survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.

At the fully attended session, participants listened intently to his testimony, providing an opportunity to reflect once again on the importance of preserving and passing on the memories of the atomic bombing to future generations.

Mr. TANAKA Satoshi of Nihon Hidankyo sharing his testimony as an atomic bomb survivor

＜Children's Peace Conference＞
This program provided children who will shape the future with an opportunity to participate in preparatory learning sessions and workshops and to learn and think about peace together. A total of 45 students, ranging from elementary school to high school, took part from across Japan.

The conference was conducted with facilitation and support from staff of the civic organization Kakuwaka Hiroshima (Hiroshiman Youth Action for a Nuclear-Free World). The views expressed during the conference were compiled into an appeal by a group of high school students serving as chairs and were presented at the event on August 5.

＜Appeal(Excerpt)＞
We believe that three things are necessary to spread peace throughout the world: learning, sharing, and taking action. We can learn about the realities of the world by researching them ourselves on the internet and by listening to hibakusha, learning not only about the history of war and the consequences of nuclear weapons, but also about their experiences and the importance of peace.

Rather than keeping what we learn to ourselves, we can share it with those close to us, such as our families and friends. Today, we can also use social media to share our own experiences and thoughts. We can also take action by making donations or signing petitions calling for the ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Eliminating discrimination and prejudice and adopting an attitude of living peacefully with others are also important first steps toward peace. Once we turn 18, we can also vote in elections and choose representatives whose views align with our own. By passing these actions and values on from one generation to the next, we believe the commitment to peace can continue to be carried forward.

Let us begin by taking an interest in peace and doing what each of us can.

＜Niji-no Hiroba (Rainbow Stage)＞
As the culminating event of Peace Action in Hiroshima, Niji-no Hiroba (Rainbow Stage) brought together approximately 1,800 participants from across Japan, including those participating online.

Representing the organizers, ARAI Chitose, President of JCCU, opened the event by expressing her appreciation to the many people who had joined from across the country. She also spoke about the aspiration to achieve a peaceful world without war or nuclear weapons and emphasized the importance of passing on the realities of the atomic bombing and the desire for peace to future generations through the peace activities of consumer co-ops.

Following guest addresses by Mr. MATSUI Kazumi, Mayor of Hiroshima, and Mr. SUZUKI Shiro, Mayor of Nagasaki, who delivered a video message, the program included a reading by actress Ms. KONNO Misako, a report on participation in the NPT Review Conference, the presentation of the appeal prepared at the Children's Peace Conference, and a choral performance.

＜Remarks by ARAI Chitose, President of JCCU (Excerpt)＞
The world is facing an unprecedented threat to peace. Various conflicts around the world show no signs of coming to an end. I sincerely hope that the fighting will cease as soon as possible and that no more people will be harmed.

This year, the Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) was held in New York from April to May. Consumer co-ops also formed a delegation and carried out activities there together with hibakusha. I was deeply moved to see the hibakusha, driven by a strong sense of mission, working tirelessly to convey the realities of the atomic bombings.

However, the conference was unable to adopt a final document, which has left me with a profound sense of concern. Now more than ever, I believe the international community must work steadily toward the elimination of nuclear weapons through dialogue and mutual trust.

Our consumer co-ops are guided by the principle of "For Peace and a Better Life" and are once again carrying out a wide range of peace activities across Japan this year.

Toward the realization of a peaceful world without war or nuclear weapons, we place great importance on recognizing the value of being able to live our ordinary daily lives. In communities throughout Japan, we are working in various ways to learn about and raise awareness of the realities of war and the atomic bombings, while passing on to future generations the hope for a world without war or nuclear weapons.

Today's Niji-no Hiroba (Rainbow Stage) is one of these peace activities.

The theme of today's event is "81 Years Since the Atomic Bombing: Toward a Peaceful World Without War or Nuclear Weapons--Passing On the Spirit of Hiroshima to Future Generations."

Although our time together is brief, I hope you will enjoy seeing, listening, experiencing, and interacting with others. Above all, I hope each of you will cherish the insights and thoughts that you take away from today's event.