At the venue in the arcade, high school students, church members, and YMCA members handed out leis to visitors to the Tanabata festival. As they handed them out, they said things like, "Use this lei as an opportunity to think about peace with your family," and the children showed a high level of interest, saying things like, "Ah, today is Hiroshima atomic bomb day," and "I will treasure this lei and think about its meaning."
This marks the first time the Sendai Tanabata festival has been held as usual in four years, following cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the arcade was constantly packed with people, but in front of the Heiwa Tanabata festival, many people were seen trying to take photos.
The 78th Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony was covered on television. Mayor Matsui Kazumi stated that "nuclear deterrence has collapsed," and repeatedly criticized the Japanese government for not joining the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Prime Minister Kishida, on the other hand, emphasized the fact that the G7 summit was held in Hiroshima in May as an achievement. However, the summit's declaration did not mention nuclear abolition even once, and ended up upholding the theory of nuclear deterrence. There is growing dissatisfaction among atomic bomb survivors that "hosting the ceremony in Hiroshima was just a performance."
Blog writer: A journal of the disaster area coverage by Sendai-based journalist Tadaki Matsudate (former NHK social affairs reporter). The journal, covering the six months from March 11, 2011 to the end of September, was published as a book by Sasaki Publishing in Sendai.
The blog contains interviews and personal notes from October 2011 onwards.
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