Khaldon Azhari

HIROSHIMA: As world leaders visited the Hiroshima Peace Museum, which recalls and describes the events leading up to the dropping of the first atomic bomb in 1945, MATSUI Kazumi, the Mayor of Hiroshima, told Arab News Japan that he was pleased with how the summit is going.

“It’s very satisfying,” he said. “This morning, even India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present and he said we must cooperate and make an effort together.”

The G7 leaders spent around 40 minutes in the Peace Museum, pleasing the mayor and locals, with some pointing out that the visit was 30 minutes longer than that of former US President Barack Obama in 2016. The visitors to the museum included current US President Joe Biden.

“Peace is very important for Hiroshima,” Matsui told Arab News Japan. “It’s something that the people of Hiroshima long for. Peace is what they want, so from that point of view we are very pleased.”

Matsui was joined by Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio and Hiroshima Prefecture Governor YUZAKI Hidehiko to help explain the museum, its history and its memorabilia.

The leaders were also told about the hibakusha – A-bomb victims and survivors – and the story of SASAKI Sadako who became famous for making cranes as she tried to recover from radiation exposure. She died at the age of 12 and the paper cranes became a symbol of peace.

“I believe they saw the reality of the suffering caused by an atomic bomb,” the museum’s director, TAKIGAWA Takuo told the media. “I hope they will send a message of peace after returning to their respective countries.”