Reflecting on 80 Years Post-War: The Voices of Today's Youth on Peace

On May 18, 2023, the Pal System Kanagawa, headquartered in Yokohama, hosted an enlightening event titled "Let's Understand War and Make it Personal". This gathering aimed to reflect on the meaning of peace and the necessity of nuclear disarmament. The event drew around 40 participants, including six high school students—known as Peace Ambassadors—who actively engaged in discussions with survivors of atomic bombings, exploring how each individual can contribute to creating a world free of nuclear weapons.

Acknowledging Everyday Happiness

In today’s program, 29 participants attended in person, while 22 joined online. The event featured speakers from various backgrounds, including young individuals born in 2000 who have no direct memory of wartime experiences, such as Yuta Takahashi and Ryoka Nakamura, along with Seiko Wada, who survived the bombing at just one year and ten months old.

To kick off the evening, Takahashi, who represents the non-profit organization Katakawa, posed a thought-provoking question to attendees: “When do you feel happy?” Participants shared heartfelt responses, shedding light on how daily joys are intertwined with the notion of peaceful existence. “When I sleep soundly, free from worries,” one participant noted. “Returning home to a safe space; this assurance cannot be taken for granted during wartime,” shared another. Conversations ranged from the joy of free ramen refills to a deeper acknowledgment that such comforts stem from living in a society that promotes peace and security.

Sharing Painful Memories

Wada, who serves as the deputy secretary-general of the Japan Atomic Bomb Victims’ Association, spoke about sharing her mother's harrowing experiences of the Nagasaki bombing. Despite being distanced from the trauma herself, she deepens her commitment to sharing the message of nuclear disarmament, actively participating in various dialogue platforms. She reveals that the responsibility of conveying this history weighs heavily on her generation, especially as the memories fade with time.

Similarly, Nakmura, who has championed peace efforts since her high school years, emphasized the importance of education and gathering voices across generations. Sharing anecdotes of her decade-long initiatives aimed at nuclear disarmament, she highlighted a common misconception: young people are often perceived as uninterested in these issues, but she believes what is truly lacking is a platform for meaningful engagement.

Katakawa, founded by Takahashi, has worked to connect citizens to survivors and has undertaken numerous projects advocating for the disarmament of nuclear weapons as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These include workshops that encourage participants to visualize the post-war world as a personal responsibility.

Bridging Generations

Natsuko Yan, an executive director at Pal System Kanagawa, passionately reminded the attendees that they belong to the last generation capable of hearing directly from survivors. By harnessing the creativity and ideas of the younger generation, the cooperative has successfully organized diverse events aimed at raising awareness and fostering dialogue. She presented tangible examples of their activism, such as pushing for the ratification of a nuclear weapon ban treaty with over 260,000 signatures submitted to the Fujisawa City Council.

The Path to Peace

The panel engaged in a thought-provoking discussion centered on the question, “Would the world be peaceful without nuclear weapons?” Wada articulated the belief that sharing survivor experiences is crucial for shifting hearts and minds toward disarmament. She expressed a deep conviction that fostering a sense of collective responsibility is essential to enacting change.

Nakamura stated that it is unequivocally wrong to ever use nuclear weapons, arguing that if human rights and dignity are truly respected, then the path to disarmament should become clear.

A student journalist from the Kanagawa Shimbun reflected on the powerful sentiment that nuclear weapons, designed solely for destruction, have no place in the world. “Though I once thought that their removal might lower the threshold for war, I now understand that achieving peace means making the choice to disarm,” he expressed.

High school participants also acknowledged the need to visualize and confront the historical realities of Hiroshima and Okinawa, realizing the importance of processing these narratives personally and collectively.

A Call to Action

Amid rising military and economic tensions that contravene the SDGs, the UN has officially declared 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives—an acknowledgement of the contributions cooperatives make towards alleviating poverty, hunger, and promoting social inclusion.

Pal System Kanagawa is set to continue emphasizing the significance of recognizing and internalizing current nuclear issues, especially during this 80th anniversary of post-war effort, as it diligently works with participants to advocate for collective action against nuclear armament, ensuring that the message of peace resonates strongly in future generations.

Pal System Kanagawa Event Report: The event titled Understanding War and Making it Personal was conducted as part of the 80th anniversary commemorative initiatives.

Pal System Kanagawa, located at 3-18-16 Shinyokohama, Kohoku Ward, Yokohama, is led by Chairperson Junko Fujita. As of March 2024, their membership stands at an impressive 360,000, with a total business turnover of approximately 55.38 billion yen. Their website is Pal System Kanagawa.

Note: The overall aim remains to empower every citizen to recognize their role in fostering a nuclear-free society.