"Hello, this is Shinzo Abe" -- Message from the Prime Minister
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Thoughts on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Hello, this is Shinzo Abe.

On August 6, I attended the annual Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony.

In Hiroshima, I also met representatives of organizations of the atomic bomb victims. Even now, many people are suffering from the atomic bombing of the city.

A number of court cases are being heard in Japan over the criteria for recognizing atomic bomb diseases. With the aging of victims, I would like to seriously consider what the Government can, and should, do for these people, apart from what is being contested in the courts.

The atomic bombings took so many lives in an instant and have continued to afflict the victims for a long period of more than 60 years. This tragedy must never be repeated in any place on earth.

I was born after the end of World War II. Still, it is imperative that I keep the misery and cruelty caused by the atomic bombs deeply etched in my heart and pass down the story of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to the future generations.

As the only country ever to have experienced nuclear devastation, Japan is committed to leading the international community in doing everything possible to totally eliminate nuclear weapons and realize a permanent peace.

With this determination, I will attend the annual Nagasaki Peace Ceremony today.

Yesterday, over 70 children from 18 countries around the world who lost their parents in regional conflicts, terrorist acts, natural disasters and other calamities, visited me at my office.

These children are interested in and studying about Japan. I am truly glad that children throughout the world have an interest in Japan.

I was also very moved that the children are overcoming the painful heartache of losing parents and moving forward with dreams and hopes for the future.

It is my heartfelt wish to realize a world where these children will not lose their dreams and hopes. And we must make the world a place where not another child will have to go through such heartbreak.

People in many regions of the world are suffering from regional conflicts, facing the threat of terrorism and confronting other dangers. To address those real issues, the international community is uniting its efforts. I will make certain that Japan too will continue to resolutely fulfill its responsibility in the international community.

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