Title: Voices Suppressed by the "Peace Memorial City"

Authors: Akari Kojima, Yoshiki Kanai, RADICAL BANANA

Abstract: Hiroshima, one of the cities attacked by the United States’ atomic bombing at the end of WWII, has been constructed as a “Peace Memorial City,” with the inheritance of the memory of the tragedy as an essential mission of the city. However, we believe that Hiroshima must also face its aggressive past, in order to gain understanding from the Asian nations that were victimized by Japan, as well as hold the United States accountable for the atomic bombing. The current state of Hiroshima has numerous challenges in this regard. We established a new social action group RADICAL BANANA in Hiroshima, to create a new learning space for peace and reconciliation that focuses on the voices that have been excluded from the mainstream narratives of Hiroshima. In our video presentation, we will delve into cases such as the President Barack Obama’s visit to Hiroshima in 2016 and the latest controversy over the plan to demolish Hiroshima Rikugun Hifuku Shisho (Army Clothing Depot). We will also examine the latest renovation of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, and make recommendations for how we can effectively build on the history of this city for international dissemination of peace.

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/u7D9XJ5GJwk