Following the two day G7 summit at Ise-Shima, US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will be making a joint visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on May 27.
As the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, this could go down in history as an important and symbolic moment in Obama’s legacy. It has been made very clear that Obama will not be apologizing for the decision made to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki the summer of 1945, but will instead highlight his continued commitment to removing all nuclear weapons and emphasize the strength of U.S.-Japan relations.
Some survivors feel an apology is necessary, but most feel the visit itself is a significant step. There’s hope that Obama will meet with survivors, say a prayer at the memorial site, reflect on the effects of the bombs, and continue to work towards eliminating nuclear weapons from the world. The atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 and later Nagasaki on August 9, cost the lives of over 210,000 by the end of the year. Many died gruesomely from the blasts, injuries, and radiation sickness. If you’re in Japan, I highly recommend a visit to the Hiroshima Memorial Park to reflect on what happened.
So, while Obama’s visit has been received positively, there is one thing the Japanese media has covered that I haven’t seen in the Western media. It’s about the black briefcase that never leaves Obama’s side when away from command centers. This bag contains items that enable the U.S. president to authorize a nuclear attack. To bring such an item to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and declare your commitment to eliminating nuclear weapons is a little ironic and brings mixed feelings to some Japanese. If he leaves it behind (highly doubt it), that would really send a positive message.
Japanese will be watching carefully what Obama says and how he spends his time in Hiroshima. I hope to write about that this weekend.
BIRD'S EYE VIEW 