At the closing of the "Parliament of Children in 2000", convened on August 2 and 3 under the auspices of the House of Councillors, Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori delivered a message to the 252 elementary and middle school children selected nationwide to serve as "child parliamentarians." After discussing various issues in separate groups on the first day, the "child parliamentarians" incorporated their conclusions in the Parliament of Children in 2000 Declaration, adopted in a plenary session on the second day.
Prime Minister Mori responded with the following message: "I found your declaration most promising. The twenty-first century will truly be your century. Each and every one of you needs to work hard to build the new age. I hope that you will exert yourselves to make the country of Japan, blessed with four seasons of great natural beauty and a distinctive culture, a bright and shining nation. As Prime Minister I am working to create a beautiful Japan that wins the trust of other countries as a nation of peace and fulfills the core role of contributing to the world's development in terms of economy, education, and science and technology. I want to make a Japan in which everyone can enjoy lifelong fulfillment and in which everyone can take pride. I will continue to do my best to make it possible to hand the nation over to you with confidence when you grow up. You have gained valuable experience through this Parliament of Children. I hope you will make good use of it as you spread your wings in pursuit of your own dreams and goals."
Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori spent about an hour at the Exhibition of Dream Technologies for the Twenty-first Century (Dreamtech) at the Tokyo Big Sight international exhibition building. The aim of the exhibition was to demonstrate the utility of new technologies and the enriching tomorrow that they can create. Observing cutting-edge technologies firsthand, the Prime Minister commented, "I gained a strong sense of the enormous potential of information technology and the fun of using it. I intend to take the lead in initiatives to build up IT infrastructure."
On the fifty-fifth anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori attended the annual Nagasaki Memorial Service for the Dead and Peace Ceremony, held in Peace Park, Nagasaki. At 11:02 A.M., the moment of impact, the Bell of Nagasaki was rung and sirens were sounded as the approximately 28,000 people assembled observed a minute's silence. After the ceremony the Prime Minister listened to the requests of A-bomb survivors and visited Megumi no Oka, a nursing home for A-bomb survivors in Nagasaki.
On the fifty-fifth anniversary of the end of World War II in the Pacific, the annual Government-sponsored Memorial Ceremony for the War Dead was held in Nippon Budokan Hall, Tokyo, in the presence of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress. The approximately 6,300 people attending, including members of families of the war dead, Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, and representatives of various fields of life, prayed for the repose of the more than 3 million war dead. Addressing the assembly, the Prime Minister said, "On the occasion of this ceremony in this watershed year marking the end of the twentieth century, once again I inscribe the many lessons of the war deeply on my heart and vow anew to apply all my energy to enabling Japan to contribute still more to world peace and prosperity in the twenty-first century and to build a better society in which people can live fulfilling lives."
Immediately after his return from his tour of Southwest Asian nations, Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and his wife, Chieko, attended a performance of the play "Yujo" (Friendship) at a theater in Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo. "Yujo" is the story of a girl with leukemia and her interaction with her classmates. The play was being performed to raise funds for the Japan Marrow Donor Foundation and encourage people to register as donors with the bone marrow bank. On August 16, when the 17-member cast had paid a courtesy visit to the Prime Minister at the Prime Minister's Official Residence, he had offered to help out in any way that he could and had promised to see the play. Addressing the audience from the stage after the performance, the Prime Minister said that he had been deeply moved by the play.